


Sticks and Stoners Give Me Boners

by writingblankspaces



Category: EXO (Band), NCT (Band), SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Mark Lee (NCT), Childhood Friends, Exhibitionism, Family Issues, Gaslighting, Intoxicated Sex, Johnny is awkward, Johnny is very shy, Jongin doesn't know how to handle his feelings, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is a Confident Gay, Light Angst, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Mark Lee & Seo Youngho | Johnny Are Siblings, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Recreational Drug Use, References to Drugs, Religious Guilt, Slow Burn, Switching, Underage Drinking, Vaguely mentioned Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2020-11-24 05:09:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 42,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20902157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingblankspaces/pseuds/writingblankspaces
Summary: Lee Taemin, Kim Jongin and Johnny Lee all share an apartment and they all like to smoke weed. Jongin has been pining after Taemin since they were kids. Johnny has a crush on the guy that works at the Ra Shop. Mark shows up to spend his Spring Break with Johnny.After one Friday night, everything changes. Some for good and some for bad.





	1. Fruity Pebbles

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to my friend, Laura, who helped me headcanon this hot mess. Enjoy~

A fuzzy haze settled like warm jelly over Jongin’s vision and he leaned further into the couch cushions, stroking at the ridges in the fabric while he stared at the TV with a blank expression on his face.

He was in no shape to actually comprehend the colors that flashed across the screen, so instead, he closed his eyes and thought about how dry his mouth was.

“Smooth right?” Taemin’s voice came from the left, making Jongin turn his head with a lazy smile stretched across his face.

“I feel like the embodiment of a warm bath,” Jongin spoke slowly, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. Taemin just smiled and took another inhale from the expertly wrapped joint, then held it out for Jongin.

He declined, which earned him a quip from Taemin about how much of a lightweight he was and how cute it was. Still, Taemin took the last few inhales for himself, letting the smoke come out both his mouth and nose.

Taemin always called him cute, but high-Jongin was hypersensitive and the word hit harder than they usually did, so he kept blushing but his limbs weren’t cooperating with him. Instead of moving away like he usually did, he just stayed sandwiched into Taemin’s side, sapping up the small amount of warmth he gave off with his thick thrift store sweater and expensive jeans.

It was a pretty standard Friday afternoon at their shared apartment and when their third roommate and friend came in from his evening classes, he regarded them with a knowing look before picking up an untouched blunt.

“I see you couldn’t wait for me,” Johnny huffed, wasting no time as he took a flame to the edge to the stick in his mouth, “this is the stuff from Nevada right?”

Taemin nodded and slung his arm around Jongin’s shoulder, nestling into the man’s neck. He always did get clingy when they smoked together and Jongin—guiltily—loved it, though it didn’t help his nearly 18-year crush.

A crush that everyone, even Taemin’s pet tarantulas Anna and Elsa, knew about.

Except for Taemin.

But right now, Jongin wasn’t thinking about that for once. Instead, he was thinking about how hungry he was and how the spaghetti from two nights ago was singing his name.

Taemin barely blinked when Jongin finally regained control over his motor skills and got up, making him slump over into the place where Jongin had been sitting. It was only when Jongin came back to reclaim his spot, that Taemin kind of sat up and waited for Jongin to settle with his bowl of cold spaghetti before he propped himself upon the man’s shoulder again and rubbed his cheek into Jongin’s cotton shirt.

He smelled so good.

“I bought this new bong and I can’t wait to test it out,” Johnny mentioned, slowly leaning over the armrest of the chair to reach into his backpack. Jongin blinked when he saw the Ra Shop logo and he smirked, spaghetti sauce smeared on his lips as he chewed the noodles in his mouth slowly.

Johnny had a crush of his own and he couldn’t be more obvious about it. Every time he went into the shop, if Taeyong, as they’d learned, was working, Johnny would find any reason to converse and chat with the man, asking his opinions about various things. After he’d done that several times, it became clear that the object of Johnny’s affection had never smoked a day in his life.

It didn’t faze Johnny though and he kept asking questions he already knew the answers to. Jongin had seen it once and he knew it was because he just liked talking to Taeyong and hearing his voice

So, it seemed that there were two love-sick idiots in the house and just one regular idiot.

The high wore off about an hour and a half later and Jongin’s eyes focused on how he’d eaten all the spaghetti and how Taemin was snoring in his lap, drooling on his pants. He didn’t have the heart to push him off until the urge to pee struck him.

It was then that he noticed he’d also drank nearly two liters of water. How had he not pissed on himself?

He didn’t have the time to ponder the answer and instead, he stood up and ran to the bathroom to relieve himself.

While he was gone, Taemin woke up and wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand before taking in the fact that Johnny was alert, focus and currently completing what looked to be literature homework.

“It’s freaky how you can do that,” Taemin’s voice was raspy and it made Johnny look up from his laptop.

“Not all of us have the luxury of not having actual homework,” Johnny deadpanned, his eyes devoid of any particular emotion.

This was a particular conversation they’d had many times, drunk, high or sober. Taemin and Jongin were Modern Dance majors while Johnny was an English major with a focus in poetry, so when the other two wanted to kick back and smoke a bowl, Johnny could as well, but he also usually had a shitton of homework that needed to be completed as well. His friends frequently made fun of him for being so studious, but Johnny knew they meant no harm.

“Nerd,” Taemin muttered before getting up and stretching his limbs. He wandered into the kitchen and searched for something to eat until Jongin walked out of the bathroom. When he saw that Taemin was awake, Jongin avoided eye contact for a few seconds.

It made Taemin question if he’d said something unusual or unnecessary earlier, but he couldn’t recall anything specific. Maybe Jongin was just being weird, something that happened quite often.

“Let’s order pizza for tonight. Someone ate all the spaghetti and I’m starving,” Taemin announced after peering into the empty fridge. Jongin nodded and within a few seconds, ordered their usual two large supreme pizzas, an order of cheesy bread and lava cakes.

Valued customers, such as themselves, knew most of the delivery people by first names. When the app informed them that Yuta was en route with their order, Jongin nudged Taemin.

“It’s the smiley guy, Yuta.” Taemin nodded and the mental image of the delivery boy’s bright smile came easily. He was, by far, one of their favorites, because of how nice he was and how patient he could be when they were out of their minds and attempting to pay him with cash.

“Make sure to give him a big tip this time. Last time, you dumbasses made him wait ten minutes for you to search for Taemin’s wallet,” which had been right in the man’s back pocket, but Yuta had smiled the whole time and chatted with them, even offering to help them look.

Jongin picked over the food, while Taemin essentially shoveled it into his mouth, guzzling coke to wash it down.

“Amazing,” Jongin sighed, watching Taemin stack three pieces of pizza on top of one another, then eat it like a sandwich. When he made it to the crust, Taemin had the nerve to look sheepish and flustered, like Jongin’s comment hadn’t been made with a tinge of disgust to it.

The pizza boxes were emptied and they split the lava cakes before stacking everything up by the trash can in the corner of the kitchen.

“Jongin, it’s your turn to take out the trash,” Johnny reminded him, pointing to the neatly drawn chart on the fridge door.

All he got was a noncommittal nod in response.

Johnny had been having a great day so far. He talked to Taeyong and maybe even flirted a little, he’d completed all his homework and even cleaned his room. So why did his good day end so abruptly?

If you’re thinking he passed or blackout from alcohol, just know that he wished it’d been that. Instead, he was treated to the heart-stopping sight of Taemin taking his pet tarantulas out their tanks and letting one of them—Anna?— rest in the palm of his hand, while the other—Elsa— was in Jongin’s hand.

The small hairy, or strange looking puppies as Johnny had been trying to convince himself, terrified him. He hated their multitude of legs and how their eyes seemed to focus on him, even when they were confined to their glass tanks in Taemin’s room.

To be short, they gave him the heebie-jeebies and both of his roommates were aware. That never, however, stopped Taemin from doting on the creatures and calling them pet names, nor taking them to ‘get air’ as Taemin always mentioned.

Johnny excused himself to his room and shut the door, debating if he should shove a towel underneath the crack to ensure that the beasts wouldn’t find their way into his room.

Just as he decided against it, he heard Jongin gasp from the other side of the door and his blood went cold.

Had the spider bitten Jongin? Had one of them finally bitten Taemin? Or worse, did one or both of them escape?

His phone vibrated and when he finally had the courage to look at the screen, his greatest fear was confirmed. Elsa had gotten loose in the apartment and now Jongin and Taemin, after putting up Anna, were on the search for her.

Out of courtesy for Johnny, they recommended that he stay in his room until he found them.

That, of course, would be no problem because he was too terrified to move.

After some loud kissy noises and twin relieved sighs, the door of Johnny’s room opened and he nearly jumped out his skin at the noise.

“You can relax now, we found her under the cabinet in the kitchen,” Jongin explained, holding the small cage for Johnny to confirm that Elsa had indeed been captured.

“And the other one?” Johnny asked, his muscles suddenly putting a fuss at him being still for so long. Taemin peeked around the corner and held up a matching cage with the other spider it in.

“I still don’t get what’s so scary about my babies, but they’re safe now. Thank you for your concern,” Johnny narrowed his eyes at Taemin because they both knew damn well that if Johnny got ahold of the spiders, he wouldn’t hesitate to squish them both.

With both monsters locked away behind the confines of Taemin’s room, Johnny left his own room to retrieve his computer and put the final touches on his Chaucer homework before he submitted it.

Johnny was smart. That much he knew. High Johnny, however, was a literary genius, so there was very little to do besides put a heading on the document, save it one last time, then upload it on the class page.

His eyes kept wandering over to his phone, hoping the next message he received would be from Taeyong.

Arguably, he’d been very confident when he’d given the other man his number and had run purely on adrenaline until he’d gotten home and smoked. He could’ve hyped up Taeyong’s reaction to his bold move or he could’ve missed something crucial.

Did Taeyong look annoyed when Johnny asked for his phone number?

No, he hadn’t. That part was solid.

Also, he could’ve very well just turned Johnny down politely. Johnny had seen Taeyong do it before to another customer.

He was harping over details that all pointed to the fact that Taeyong at least tolerated him to the point of accepting his number. And that was a good thing.

Maybe he was overthinking everything.

Maybe Taeyong was still at work. Or still working and couldn’t be on his phone.

Right, that sounded reasonable.

High Johnny was smart, but come-down Johnny was paranoid and most certainly not cool.

Instead of texting Taeyong like he was desperate, Johnny locked his phone and set it down on the coffee table.

Unintentionally, everyone reached a breaking point that following weekend.

To start things off, just as all of them were slinking into their individual rooms, someone knocked on the front door. Johnny, the person with the longest legs, made it to the door first, so he opened it and was surprised to see his little brother, Mark standing there, bag in hand.

Taemin and Jongin watched from their doorways until the younger man bounded into the apartment with a sunny smile on his face.

“Hey, guys! I’ll be spending my Spring Break here,” Mark explained immediately. Taemin nodded while Jongin reached out to ruffle the kid’s hair.

“Fine with us,” Jongin spoke while Taemin agreed.

Johnny, on the other hand, continued to stare as his brother sat his bag down in Johnny’s room.

“Um, do mom and dad know about this?” Mark nodded, then his expression changed into one of mild irritation.

“I told you all about this last week. I’ve also been asking you about this for three months.”

See that was another thing about High Johnny, his memory was shit.

Usually, he’d have enough mental capacity to write himself a note on his computer or phone, but he must’ve not been near anything when he’d gotten the call. So, the information had retreated to the deepest recesses of his mind and now he was supposed to host his pure little brother in an apartment with two of the biggest stoners on campus.

If Mark went back home and told their parents, they’d probably drag him out of the apartment by his hair, douse him in holy water and force him to enroll in the Christian university around the corner from their home.

Those thoughts alone are what sent Johnny into a panic and he soft nudged Mark out of his room and took to hiding his drug paraphernalia. He stuffed bongs into his sock drawer and shoved the metal Yugioh lunchbox full of nugs, pre-rolled joints and his favorite grinders beneath his bed.

Mark was thankfully preoccupied with talking to Taemin and Jongin about school, so he didn’t notice Johnny’s frantic movements.

“Well, it’s kind of been a long day. I’m going to turn in. Good night you guys,” Mark sighed, getting up from the couch and lightly knocking on Johnny’s partially closed bedroom door, “can I come in?”

Johnny, who was mostly satisfied with his rushed clean up job, said yes. Mark didn’t even spare the bedroom an extra look before he retreated into the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.

Now that the panic had subsided, Johnny could dwell on how his little brother hadn’t changed in the several months he’d been away from home.

Despite being the closest to his family proximity wise, Johnny rarely ever went home.

He actively avoided going home.

His parents were staunch and unforgiving Christians with an ‘all drug users will go to hell and burn for all eternity’ kind of mindset. Growing up, he knew he didn’t quite agree with them, but he never tried to buck the system, so to speak.

He went to every church meeting, camp and gathering they urged him to. He even participated in weekly bible studies and wore a purity ring.

When his parents tried to urge Mark to follow in his footsteps, he actively did anything he could to urge him to choose something else. No matter how many sermons their father would preach at them, following whatever wrongdoing they’d committed, Johnny never believed any of it.

All of those years of tirelessly sitting through day after day and sermon after sermon, something snapped inside of Johnny when he was 16 and Mark was 12. Mark, after years of Johnny’s influence, kept declining his parents' urges to get baptized. He frequently explained that he felt like he wasn’t ready, but their parents wished to force it on him.

It was the first time in Johnny’s life that he’d ever talked back to his parents and pointed out not only were they not being good parents, but that they weren’t being very good Christians either. After that, they let up on Mark and started watching Johnny’s every movement with a magnifying glass until he went off to college.

Luckily, he’d written several impressive essays, so between about seven or eight scholarships, Johnny went off to—a non-religious—college without the financial help of his parents.

Now as he watched Mark sleep next to him, Johnny debated if he’d made the right choice.

Mark seemed to get taller with every visit home and always expressed how much he missed him.

Had Johnny made the right choice? Should he have stayed home and continued to shield Mark from their parents?

Had he been a selfish older brother?

Fuck, he wanted to smoke.

Mark was insistent on following Johnny to all his classes, but he was fine with it.

At least that meant there were less time and opportunities for Taemin and Jongin to goad him into something unspeakable.

Though, when they settled into a booth to eat lunch in the Union, Mark tapped on the table to get Johnny’s attention.

“So, when did you start smoking?” He asked, a worried expression on his face. Johnny’s phone clattered to the table and his eyes bugged out.

Had Mark woken up last night when he’d gotten up to go smoke out on the balcony?

Was he going to tell their parents?

There were so many questions, but Johnny decided to play it cool.

“What do you mean?” To give the appearance of nonchalance, he shoved a handful of french fries into his mouth.

“It’s just that you ashtrays all over your apartment, even in your bathroom and kitchen,” Mark sighed, his eyes wide and shiny like he close to tears, “are you stressed? You know smoking cigarettes is bad. That’s how grandpa died.”

Just like that, the situation went from a code red to a code yellow, possibly a code green depending on how naive his little brother was.

He could lie his way out of this, though it didn’t exactly feel good lying to him.

“Uh yeah, I’ve been chewing gum to help,” Johnny mumbled. He felt like shit.

Mark must’ve taken his look of guilt as one of someone being chastised.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do it. You’re so good at everything,” Mark chirped, though the volume of his voice dropped considerably when he continued, “I promise I won’t tell mom and dad.”

Just like that, Johnny knew he was off the hook and he gave Mark what he hoped was a relieved smile.

“We should have a party on Friday,” Taemin mentioned while they were all in the living room, binging an anime Mark had recommended to them.

So far it was good, so they’d kept watching it and even order take-out so they could continue to watch uninterrupted.

“It’s fine with me,” Johnny responded, shrugging.

Jongin gave a sharp nod and just like that, much to Mark’s wide-eyed confusion, it was decided.

It was about five days into Mark’s visit when Taemin decided to ignore Johnny’s warnings to be careful around Mark.

It was his and Jongin’s home as well and since they paid two-thirds of the rent, it was only right that they live in comfort.

And living in comfort meant if he felt like lighting up in the middle of the living room, he could. After all, there was a reason they had so many ashtrays scattered throughout the apartment.

Johnny was at his precious National Society of Collegiate Scholars meeting, so for once, Mark was by himself in the living room. His eyes were glued to the Switch in his hand but he also had some weirdly animated Netflix show playing in the background.

The ottoman under Mark’s feet is where Taemin kept his usual stash and with each trip to the kitchen for a snack, he eyed it and wondered if he could discreetly get something from it.

On his third trip to refill his juice, Mark went to the bathroom, so Taemin quickly got what he wanted—two joints— and retreated into his room, then closed the door.

In an effort to keep the smell down, he took one of his old contraptions from high school out of his closet. A cardboard toilet paper roll with several layers of the most fragrant dryer sheets he could find fastened with rubber bands, it wasn’t anything special. But, it had kept his parents from ever detecting the smell when he’d smoked in the house.

Now, Taemin inwardly cursed because he had to use it again, in the confines of his own private apartment.

Why was he being so considerate anyway? Johnny was the one who’s sprung his little brother staying with them at almost 12 AM in the morning. If anything, Mark should be attempting to work around their usual habits.

Having grown so accustomed to a certain smell that lingered in the apartment, Jongin noticed that his nose was now picking up a more tropical scent in the common area.

Mark wasn’t anywhere to be found, so Jongin figured if there was an appropriate time to smoke in the living room, it would be while Mark and Johnny were out.

When he knocked on Taemin’s door, Taemin stuck out his head, immediately searching for Mark.

The overpowering smell of a floral scent smacked Jongin in the face and he raised his eyebrow in curiosity.

What could possibly make such a pungent smell?

That’s when it hit Jongin just as quickly as the thought had crossed his mind, a filter.

“You’re using a smoke filter!” Taemin looked down with a guilty expression and nodded, then he opened up his door completely. Jongin glanced over his shoulder and saw Taemin’s favorite ashtray, comically shaped like Rilakkuma, in the middle of his bed, along with a half-smoked joint and the makeshift smoke filter.

There was also another—untouched—joint as well.

“Mark’s gone,” Jongin started, cocking his head in the direction of the living room, “why don’t we get a smoke in before he comes back.”

Taemin seemed to give it some thought and he grabbed his stuff before settling down on the couch.

Jongin wanted to just throw his backpack on the floor and de-stress, but he thought better of it and actually walked up to his room and threw the bag inside. By the time he came back to the couch, Taemin had the TV playing the most recent season of The Good Place and he was re-lighting the joint that had been in his ashtray.

“God it feels so good not smoking in a bathroom full of steam,” Taemin sighed, taking a long exhale and letting the smoke roll out his nostrils. Jongin plopped down next to him and took the roach out of Taemin’s hand before taking a long drag.

The smoke-filled his lungs so good and he leaned back, already feeling the nerves in his body singing in joy.

They finished off the first one quickly but savored the second. Jongin took a few seconds to inhale, then held his breath. He knew it was kind of far fetched, but as his eyes fluttered closed and he finally let the smoke out, he felt like he was ascending.

But instead of the usual soft haze that engulfed him, his focus sharpened and his eyes refused to stray from Taemin as he took his own hit.

Pink, plush lips closed around joint, then released it.

Taemin said something to him, but Jongin just watched the movement of Taemin’s lips. His entire body buzzed with the realization that they were sitting so close. It wasn’t anything new, but for some reason, it was a big deal then.

His palms started to sweat and his mouth went dry.

He could just lean over and press his lips into Taemin’s. Just quickly kiss Taemin and move away before it could mean more. After all, a quick peck wasn’t nearly as meaningful as a long deep one.

Right?

Except that it wasn’t meaningless. It was everything and the weed had done nothing to dull his rational thought. It was screaming at him to stop but everything else in his body was begging him to give it a try.

Though sober Jongin really didn’t pay attention to his rational thoughts anyway, so the pleading went on deaf ears and Jongin leaned in, taking the joint from Taemin’s slim fingers and putting it in the ashtray on the table.

His lips were as soft as he’d thought they be.

For a few beats, they remained still, then like a switch had been flipped, Taemin was surging into it. Jongin easily toppled onto his back and he let Taemin take the lead, putting up no resistance as the other’s tongue explored his mouth and swiped along the back of his teeth.

There was a line and each second their lips were connected, it was further crossed, but Jongin didn’t care. His hands fisted the back of Taemin’s shirt and pulled him closer, trying to get their bodies to match how close their lips were.

Everything was hot and they were moving too slowly.

Hands made their way to Jongin’s hips and inched underneath the thin fabric of his sweater, tracing along the waistband of his pants.

It was so so tantalizing and Jongin moaned into the kiss when Taemin groped him through his pants. The friction shouldn’t have been enough, but with Taemin's hands, lips and attention on him, Jongin already felt close to coming.

His own hands had long since slipped beneath Taemin’s hoodie, caressing the smooth, warm, unmarred skin that was hidden by the bulky fabric. Jongin wanted it off.

His clothes. Taemin’s clothes. Everything.

His hips moved on their own and he pushed up, immediately coming in contact with Taemin’s thigh. The kisses had turned into something else much more primal and less sweet and stoner-romantic cliche.

If things kept up, Taemin was going to fuck him right there in the living room on their couch. Fulfill every wet dream he’d had since he was barely fourteen years old.

And Jongin wasn’t going to stop him.

Only he did—clumsily— when he heard keys and footsteps approaching the door. There was more screaming going on inside his head, though this time it was his senses tell him to keep going. The rational thoughts took control of his body and he pushed at Taemin’s chest, making him back up immediately.

Still kneeled between Jongin’s spread thighs and his lips an abused red, Taemin jumped up from the couch and retreated into his room with everything he’d brought with him. Jongin wasn’t too far behind him and moved to get air freshener just as the doorknob started to turn and the lock clicked.

Johnny and Mark trudged in a few minutes later with bags of booze and snacks.

The look Johnny shot Jongin made him stand up straighter and he tugged his sweater to hide his very noticeable erection.

“Did you not get my text?” Johnny asked, not even looking up as he shoved several six-packs of beer into the fridge, along with a few other things.

Mark’s big eyes were on Jongin as he shrugged, saying that he hadn’t.

“Well, then I guess you’ll have to drink whatever I bought then.” Jongin nodded, rooted in place as the siblings unpacked and stored everything.

“That’s fine. I’m just going to start getting ready. If you forgot anything, just text me and I’ll run out to get it,” with those words, Jongin bolted to his room and shut the door, immediately heading into his bathroom to take a cold shower.


	2. Cannatonic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taemin and Mark both see things they're not supposed to. Mark gets hit on, then gets drunk and perhaps a teensy bit high. Johnny _doesn't_ fuck things up and Jongin does. A tired, disgruntled Donghyuck makes an entrance and Mark thinks he might be in love.

The volume Taemin had his ‘Chillstep and Ambient’ music playing would probably earn them a noise complaint later in the night, but Johnny didn’t have time to worry about that.

Instead, he had to keep Taemin and Jongin from giving Mark some of their noxious jungle juice and think of something acceptable to talk to Taeyong about since he’d arrived at the party about ten minutes ago. 

Every time he thought he had something, Taemin would slink through the small crowd with a suspicious red cup in his hand and a grin, moving in Mark’s direction. He’d already intercepted and chugged three of the cups, so he was definitely tipsy and every glance in Taeyong’s direction made him want to keep chugging. 

He wasn’t sure if he was cursed or blessed, but Taeyong walked from the opposite side of the living room and approached Johnny, a beer in his hand and a smile on his face. The smile that made Johnny feel like he was cake batter in an easy bake oven. 

“Nice party. Didn’t realize you were roommates with Jongin and Taemin,” Taeyong started, tipping his head in the direction of the aforementioned men. Johnny nodded like a dumbass and shrugged, gripping the half-empty cup in his hand so tightly that some of the liquid seeped through the cracks. Taeyong didn’t seem to notice though.

“Glad you could come. You even got dressed up too,” Johnny’s voice did this weird ‘I’m still going through my second puberty’ pitch crack and Taeyong blinked before he laughed.

Right in Johnny’s face. 

Had it not been for a large amount of alcohol coursing through his system, he would’ve been extremely embarrassed, but as he was now—very very very tipsy—he just laughed with Taeyong.

Johnny really had meant his words though, because Taeyong was wearing a bit of makeup, a severely oversized button-up, and tight black jeans.

He looked so good and Johnny’s drunken mind only managed to mention how he was ‘dressed up.’

At this rate, he’d never get to date Taeyong.

Jongin definitely shouldn’t have thrown back those last three cups of beer because now he had to pee and all the bathrooms in the apartment were occupied. 

Taemin’s entertained expression as he watched Jongin fidget from one foot to another while the game went on around him.

He was also approaching cross-faded territory quickly, so it was best that he attempt to purge his body of some of the alcohol so he could stay at that happy medium. 

While crossfaded, he was known to do some of his best work, aka strange but legendary hookups.

For one, his first time getting crossfaded at an EXO frat party during his freshman year, he ended up hooking up with a well-known junior, Kim Joonmyun. After that, he became the talk of campus for almost two months until he let the older man down softly because of his feelings for Taemin. 

Another time, he ended up being fuckbuddies with his hard-to-impress TA Lee Sunkyu. That one had almost ended with him being expelled because the woman was the Dean’s niece.

No matter whose bed Jongin ended up in whenever he was faded, he always came back to Taemin, whether the other knew it not. 

Which, spoiler alert, he really didn’t and it was eating Jongin from the inside out. 

Speaking of eating at him, Jongin really had to piss and when the door of the bathroom in his bedroom opened, he dashed inside and barely closed the door behind him before he relieved himself. 

He must’ve peed for at least five minutes straight before he finished, then he proceeded to stare at his reflection in the mirror for five more additional minutes after flushing and washing his hands. He hadn’t bothered to do much, because no matter how much he dressed himself up, Taemin never looked at him like that. 

But other people did and the guy waiting outside his cracked bathroom door—Chanyeol maybe, definitely someone in one of his classes—was proof and a source of instant validation, if he needed it.

And he did.

Taemin attempted to focus on the rapidly moving game in front of him, but he kept checking to see if Jongin had come out of his room.

Maybe he’d just missed him? 

But when the game was over and he actively went to look for him, he couldn’t find him anywhere. 

The only place he hadn’t checked was Jongin’s bedroom. When he reached out and opened the closed door, he was met with a sight he hadn’t seen in a while. 

Jongin hadn’t even bothered to take off his shirt, only his underwear and pants, so he was bare only from the waist down and he rose and fell in a very tall, very dazed man’s lap.

Instead of excusing himself and apologizing profusely, Taemin stood there for a few moments, processing everything in front of him. 

Just a mere few hours ago, Jongin had been kissing and touching him like it’d been a long time coming, now he was hooking up with someone else.

It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. His head shouldn’t have started pounding, nor should his heart felt like it’d dropped to the pit of his stomach. 

None of this should’ve been happening and he had no right to feel the way he did.

The tall man seemed like he saw Taemin, but instead of being embarrassed and telling Jongin to stop, he only held onto Jongin’s hips tighter and pulled him in for a kiss. A kiss that Taemin could tell was all tongue and teeth. 

No feelings.

His body felt like lead as he willed himself to walk out of the room and close the door behind him. 

“Is Jongin up to the usual party business?” Sehun asked, wiggling his eyebrows. He was definitely drunk and ordinarily, Taemin would’ve loved nothing more than to take the time to fuck with him.

Right then, however, he just wanted to either drown himself in alcohol or get so high, he couldn’t feel his face. Maybe even both. 

And he couldn’t figure out why.

Meanwhile, Johnny was trying to figure out how he and Taeyong ended up sitting on his bed, having an intense conversation about their favorite kind of chips.

“The dill pickle flavor of Lays is the most superior,” Taeyong said with a shrug. Johnny’s face contorted and he poked out his tongue, letting out a faux retching sound.

“Doritos are the superior chip, hands down.” Taeyong gave it some thought, then he shrugged.

“You might be right,” he sighed, a small smile on his face. Johnny clapped his hands once and leaned back, satisfied. 

“I knew you’d see things my way.” Even as he spoke evenly, his heart was racing and he was becoming more aware of how alone they were in his bedroom.

“So, uh, what made you come to the party?” Johnny asked after a few beats of silence. 

Taeyong licked his lips before he tipped his head to the side, obviously thinking about his answer.

“Well you invited me,” he started and really Johnny shouldn’t have been so happy that he’d lead with that, “and my Thursday night was free. So, I thought why not.”

Well, Johnny was glad he had.

Chanyeol wasn’t a bad fuck and had scratched his itch, but there was a feeling of dread crawling up his spine.

Something had happened and only his senses knew it.

Instead of enjoying the post-coitus cuddles he loved, he climbed out of Chanyeol’s lap and handed him two wads of tissues. One to clean the mess of Jongin’s release off his hand and the other to wrap the used condom in.

He turned his back toward him and stepped back into his underwear and pants.

Presumably cleaned up, Chanyeol stood up and attempted to hug Jongin, but he moved away just as he reached out his arms. 

In the small mirror above Jongin’s dresser, he saw the crestfallen look on the other man’s face. Chanyeol cleared his throat and gave a hard nod, then adjusted his clothes before reaching for the door.

“See you in Queer Theory Jongin,” Chanyeol spoke softly before leaving the room.

Jongin finally emerged from his room, looking a bit disheveled. Taemin only glanced at him for a second, before he paid attention to the shot contest he was having with Minho.

The room was already starting to spin after his fourth shot of tequila, but he kept throwing them back until Minho rapped out.

“You win, Taemin. There is not a single soul who can outdrink you,” Minho slurred, swaying where he stood.

Maybe it was his drunk-goggles on, but Jongin kept shooting him guilty glances.

Like the ones Adam or Eve gave him when they peed on the carpet at home. 

It made the jealousy and anger curl in the pit of his stomach, tossing with all the alcohol and chicken tenders he’d eaten earlier. 

It made him feel sick.

“Dude, you look green,” Baekhyun mentioned, patting him on the back. Despite sounding like he was drunker than Taemin, he still offered to walk him to the bathroom.

Taemin shook his head to decline the offer but ended up falling to the floor. Baekhyun scrambled to his side and tried to lift him off the ground but ended up in the same position as Taemin. 

Temporarily distracted from his increasingly shitty mood, Taemin made eye contact with Baekhyun and they both burst into laughter. The break made some of the pain in his chest let up and Taemin reached up to wipe the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

Mark nursed the mystery drink in his hand and shuffled around the party, attempting to make small talk with the random people scattered throughout the apartment. 

So far, he’d had an interesting conversation about Star Wars with a guy named Chanyeol, but he’d disappeared into Jongin’s room then left without a word. 

It was obvious something had happened because he’d also seen Taemin walk into Jongin’s room not long after Chanyeol, then walk out like he’d seen a ghost and proceed to down several shots of Tequila without break. 

He wasn’t the type to pry, so he was more than content to just let things be. 

Instead of continuing to seek out people to talk to, Mark found the couch unoccupied and sat down, taking bigger gulps of the liquid in his cup. Despite it being watered down by the melted ice, it still burned the entire way down and Mark grimaced into the cup. 

He didn’t want to be rude, so he drank the rest and sat the cup on the coffee table before reaching in his pocket for his phone. It’d vibrated in his pocket earlier when he’d been talking to Chanyeol, but he’d ignored it.

Just as he’d assumed, the messages were from Chenle and Jisung and they were pouting about the fact that he hadn’t taken them with him on his ‘college adventure.’ 

“I know just about everyone in the frosh class. Do you go somewhere else?” A smooth voice asked from above Mark. When he looked up, he nearly choked on his spit. 

An intimidatingly pretty girl, dressed in a very short skirt, fishnets, and a collar-bearing sweatshirt. Her makeup was so sparkly that it made her eyes glimmer in the dim light of the living room. 

Play it cool, Mark. 

“I um, go to the school up the street,” Mark rasped out, still trying to clear his throat so he could speak normally.

The girl seemed to accept that and she sat next to Mark, handing him one of the cups in her hand.

“I saw you’d finished yours,” she gestured at the empty cup on the coffee table, “I’m Yerim by the way, but everyone calls me Yeri. What’s your name?” 

Sweat formed on the back of Mark’s neck as he attempted to keep up with Yeri’s words. She kept smiling at him and touching his arm and laughing at his jokes. 

She was hitting on him. 

He kept looking around the party for Johnny, Jongin or Taemin to save him, but all three of them were nowhere to be found. 

Yeri was nice enough but the more he sipped of the fresh drink, the harder it was to hide just how uncomfortable he was. He kept jiggling his leg and laughing too loudly at the girl’s jokes even though they weren’t that funny.

When there was a break in the conversation, Mark told Yeri that he had to use the bathroom and got up, heading in the direction of Johnny’s room. The door was cracked and he opened it, but immediately turned around when he saw his brother hovering over another guy. 

They were so preoccupied with each other that they didn’t even notice when Mark walked in, then out. On his way out, Mark closed the door shut and stumbled to Taemin’s bathroom.

Without looking in a mirror, Mark knew his face was red.

He’d always known that his brother preferred guys, but to see his brother initiating what looked like a very intense make-out session, obviously left him flustered. 

Mark splashed his face with water and dried it with a paper towel before actually using the bathroom. After all, he hadn’t completely lied to Yeri. 

He did have to use the bathroom. 

When he came back, Yeri had moved to a different area of the party and Mark breathed a sigh of relief. He was in no shape to pick up girls at a college party, plus he was definitely getting drunk.

Going back to the couch seemed like a bad idea, so Mark wandered to the porch where he saw Jongin and a few people huddled around a table. The moment he opened the door, the smell hit him and it became obvious what they were doing.

A few people turned and looked up at him then turned away when they saw he was no one of importance or interest. The only pair of eyes that continued to look at him, were Jongin’s. He seemed to gauge Mark’s reaction to everyone passing around a blunt, then he scooted over and patted an empty chair next to him.

“You know, your brother wanted us to hide this from you,” Jongin explained, his words coming out slow and concise. Mark nodded and he pressed his lips into a tight line. 

Yes, he’d figured that out when he kept finding the miscellaneous ashtrays around the house. They weren’t just in Johnny’s room, but everywhere else as well. 

Way more than someone who just smoked cigarettes, unless all of them did. Which would’ve been weird because none of them smelled like cigarettes at all. 

When he’d asked Johnny about it, he’d already made his assumptions and when Johnny blatantly lied to his face and said that he smoked cigarettes, Mark just decided to let it go. 

The blunt came his way and he reached out, taking a long drag then pushing the smoke out his mouth after a few seconds. Jongin’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he grinned, leaning closer to Mark.

“You don’t look like someone doing this for the first time,” Jongin hooted, an amused expression on his face.

Mark didn’t explain, he only shrugged and continued to think about why Johnny felt the need to lie to him. 

Did he think that he was the same sheltered kid he’d been when they were younger? 

He’d had his own fair share of disagreements with their parents following Johnny’s decision to go to college all the way across the state. 

Once Johnny had put his foot down, their parents lessened up with insisting that he do certain religious things. They also granted him a lot more freedom than they’d allowed Johnny. 

They must’ve learned what happened when a caged bird was let loose.

It would never come back, or in Johnny’s case, not often. 

They didn’t want Mark to do the same. That was the reason why they’d agreed to let Mark come visit Johnny and tour his school as a prospective choice. He was a senior in high school and time was winding down for him to find a college. 

“You sure this isn’t too much? You keep zoning out and it’s kind of harshing my buzz,” an unfamiliar voice spoke up, drawing Mark’s attention to the fact that it was his turn to take a hit again. 

“Jaehyun, shut up,” Jongin muttered, reaching over to lightly shove the said man’s shoulder. 

“Sorry,” Mark apologized after he took another hit, letting it sit in his lungs for much longer than the first because he knew this was going to be his last one. The joint was burning quickly and probably wouldn’t make it back to him.

That was fine with him though. He was already sort of drunk and now he high on top of that.

Instead of waiting to see if someone pulled out another joint, Mark got up and carefully made his way to the door. Jongin watched him walk away with a smirk on his face, but Mark ignored it.

He made his way back to his previous seat on the couch and sat down, slumping a little when he settled down. He wasn’t nervous anymore, so if Yeri decided to chat him up again, he’d be more receptive to her flirting attempts.

A second chance, however, never came, so he just drank his drink in relative solitude, sitting in his weed-alcohol induced chill zone. 

That is until someone barged in the door and made it slam against the wall, startling those close to the door and the wall. 

“Can you please turn down your fucking music? It’s almost three AM and I have to be at Starbucks in like three hours,” the first person to respond to the apparent unwelcome house guest, was Taemin. 

He appeared out a throng of people and started to calm down the other man, who was dressed in bunny emblazoned pajamas with matching bunny slippers.

Taemin seemed to promise that he would turn it down and Haechan glared at him, narrowing his eyes. It seemed like he wanted to argue and yell more, but when he took in how Taemin was swaying in place, he knew it would be pointless.

For some reason or another, his eyes locked with Mark and Mark’s heart stopped.

Mark had caught his name in Taemin’s pleading and he attempted to sit up straight, his eyes wide because he was confused as to why he was being approached.

“You look like the soberest person in the room,” so the cute guy had horrible judgment, “can you find a way for this party to end so I can get some sleep?” The man ended his request with a cute tilt of his head and Mark felt his heart lurch from a sudden standstill to a racing pace.

He stared at the man for what felt like an eternity before he blinked and processed everything that’d been said to him. 

“What’s your-uh-um, name?” The man’s eyes turned to crescents and he grinned, despite probably being exhausted, assuming Mark had heard him correctly. 

“Donghyuck. If you do what I ask, there’ll be free coffee in it for you,” Donghyuck mentioned. 

Mark hated coffee, but he definitely wanted to see Donghyuck again, so he stood up and looked around the party. Taemin was staring at him but seemed too far gone to stop him, so Mark turned off the music. 

“Okay, everyone, go home,” Mark announced, banging on a nearby wall.

Some people looked at him, then continued to socialize and drink, while others completely just ignored him. 

Donghyuck folded his arms and banged on the wall as well, though it was much louder.

“Everyone go home! Party over, I called the cops!” That got the desired attention and many people, mostly underaged freshmen, started to shuffle out the door.

After the initial departure of people, more people started to leave until only Jongin, Taemin, Mark, and Donghyuck were left in the living room.

Jongin had heard the commotion and shuffled inside. Mark didn’t miss how he kept his distance from Taemin.

The noise, however, had not disturbed Johnny and the guy he was with, because his bedroom door remained closed. In the back of his mind, Mark hoped Taemin or Jongin would give him a blanket so he could comfortably sleep in the living room since Johnny had company.


	3. Strawberry Cough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny gets a little taste and panics. Mark has a dream about a certain duck pajama-wearing barista. Jongin and Taemin are at odds and everyone in the apartment can feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone reading this odd story~

Taeyong’s lips were so soft and Johnny was so drunk, the realization that they were making out washed over him like warm water.

A seemingly unrequited crush was pushing back and returning the fervor he was surging forward with. His body was moving on autopilot despite that he’d been having a dry spell since he’d set his affections on Taeyong. 

Just like his lips, Taeyong’s hands were soft as onto Johnny’s shoulder, pull him down harder and fitting his body against Johnny’s

Johnny worried that he was crushing Taeyong beneath him, but when Taeyong moaned into the kiss, it became clear he liked it.

Their teeth clashed at some point, but Johnny didn’t even care because Taeyong just tightened his grip on Johnny, refusing to let him pull away or back out.

Like his mind was telling him. 

Johnny’s mind kept settling on the fact that his bedroom was unlocked. Anyone could walk in and see him and Taeyong, in his bed. 

Mark could see him and Taeyong on his bed, and holy fuck. 

Did Mark even know he was into guys? 

Fuck fuck fuck. 

This was a bad idea and even though he wanted this so badly, the fact that Mark was at the party and wandering around made it impossible for him to really enjoy himself.

He was so conflicted, but he felt like if he back left down now Taeyong would think he was weird or didn’t like him. 

His heart had already been slamming inside his chest since he and Taeyong had started kissing, but when he heard the familiar click of his door closing, his heart nearly leaped from his throat.

Had that been Mark?

In quick, sloppy movements, Johnny pushed Taeyong away and slipped from the bed. The second his feet hit the ground, he started pacing and hyperventilating.

“What if he tells mom and dad? Oh my god, they’re gonna probably send me to one of those conversion camps. He’ll tell them I smoke cigarettes too and they’re gonna call, visit and bring those horrible pictures they showed us of people’s organs,” Johnny rambled.

Taeyong watched Johnny freak out for several long moments before he got up from the bed and attempt to calm him down.

“Johnny!” Judging from how loud he’d said it, Taeyong had probably said his name multiple times until he’d heard him. 

Johnny’s eyes focused on Taeyong and he blinked, trying to ground himself. The same soft hands that’d held him closely just a few moments ago were cradling his jaw as Taeyong looked at him with sharp eyes.

“You have to calm down and breathe.” 

It took several moments before Johnny’s eyes focused and he tried to regulate his breathing. When his thoughts stopped racing, he swallowed hard and moved his head from Taeyong’s grasp.

He felt Taeyong’s gaze bore into his back as he went into the bathroom and ran cold water, splashing some onto his face. 

He’d just embarrassed himself in front of Taeyong and he wouldn’t blame him if Taeyong just walked out of his room and never talked to him again.

It would make sense and it was what he deserved.

Except that Taeyong didn’t leave. He walked into the bathroom behind Johnny and snatched a towel hanging from the shower rod, holding it out for Johnny.

“I’m sorry,” Johnny mumbled, looking down at the floor as he wiped his face and avoided Taeyong’s gaze, “if you want to leave, you can.”

Silence hung in the air heavy until Taeyong shook his head, Johnny only knew he’d gotten some kind of reaction because he’d been taking peeks of Taeyong in the mirror.

“Not until I’m sure you’re okay,” Taeyong sighed as he sat down on the edge of the tub after he finished talking.

When Johnny forced himself to look at the other man, he noticed that Taeyong had an Altoids container in his hand. He opened it and fished out the only thing inside, a joint. 

“You smoke?” Johnny asked, his voice hitching in curiosity. He’d always joked with his roommates that it’d be funny if Taeyong knew nothing about smoking and just worked at the Ra Shop for the sake of a job.

Taemin always swore that was probably the case and why the answers Taeyong gave him were so straightforward, nearly scholarly, whenever Johnny asked his opinion on a new piece or if he preferred using cigarette papers or taking the tobacco out of black and milds and using those wrappings. 

Now, even in his anxiety-riddled brain, it was clear that Taeyong knew what he was talking about quite well. 

A hand pulled Johnny’s arm and he sat down next to Taeyong, still thinking about his parents and Mark and the fact that there was very much so still a party going on outside the confines of his room.

Taeyong didn’t even ask him if he wanted to take a hit. Instead, he held out his hand expectantly.

Johnny hadn’t initially accepted Taeyong’s offer and he’d hitched up one of his well-manicured eyebrows. 

“I know you smoke Johnny, besides, this would be a great time for you to tell me why you’re freaking out so much about your brother seeing us.” 

It was a good place to start, so Johnny gave in and took the lit blunt, taking a deep inhale before he held the smoke inside his lungs several moments. When he let it go, it came out either side his mouth in thick white tendrils.

“Where to start? Should I talk about how important religion is to my parents?” because that seemed appropriate given his reaction and the situation at hand. 

He just wasn’t aware that Taeyong was really listening, committing even the most mundane details to his memory. 

Even as the high was washing over both of them, Johnny trudged through it, divulging details only Taemin, Jongin and a few of his other friends knew. 

When Johnny finished, he glanced over at Taeyong and let out a nervous laugh.

“Pretty heavy considering this is our first time hanging out, right?” Taeyong only took a drag and shrugged.

“I don’t mind.” He stubbed out the roach and flushed it down the toilet, studying Johnny’s expression. 

His face had relaxed and he was leaning against the tile, staring back at Taeyong. 

Or rather, he was staring at something on Taeyong’s face and it was only when he leaned over and drew him into a kiss that Taeyong realized he’d been staring at his lips.

Languid and the perfect amount of tongue, Taeyong fisted Johnny’s shirt and pulled him even closer. The angle had to be awkward considering how tall Johnny was, but he didn’t lessen up. 

Even when they heard a soft banging on the nearby wall.

When a louder one sounded, it scared Taeyong and he flinched into the kiss, accidentally biting Johnny’s tongue.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Taeyong started, but was interrupted when he heard a clear crisp voice that he recognized all too well. 

“Everyone go home! Party over, I called the cops!” At the words, Johnny stood up quickly and nearly tripped over his own feet. Taeyong reached out just in time to stop him from falling and smashing his head into the sink. 

“Be careful,” Taeyong warned.

He was still trying to figure out why Donghyuck was in Johnny’s apartment and why he’d called the police.

Johnny, on the other hand, was getting his bearings together and he moved towards the door shortly after the banging stopped and he heard countless footsteps moving past his room. 

“Mark’s still a minor, oh my god,” Johnny whispered, running his hands through his hair. Taeyong chewed on his bottom lip and followed behind Johnny, trying to decide if he should shoo Donghyuck off or stay and calm down Johnny. 

“He didn’t actually call the police. Donghyuck’s an asshole, but he wouldn’t do that,” Taeyong answered, rubbing Johnny’s shoulder. 

His eyes were still wide but he took a deep breath and opened up his door, walking out into the living room to see Mark, Taemin, Jongin and a guy he vaguely recalled was their neighbor.

That must’ve been Donghyuck.

“Wait, how do you know our neighbor?” Johnny asked, turning to face Taeyong. 

“We went to the same high school.” 

Made sense. 

Now that that was cleared up, Johnny walked over to Mark and looked him over, noting that he was fidgeting in place. He was probably drunk. 

Mom and dad were going to kill him.

Taemin watched Johnny’s crush—Taeyong—converse with their annoying neighbor and convince him to leave with him. He also assured them that Donghyuck hadn’t actually called the police.

Before Donghyuck walked out the door, he turned and reached into Mark’s pocket for his phone to save his number. Mark let out a bark of nervous laughter and stared at the screen of his phone when Donghyuck handed it back with a grin. 

“Call me so I can pay you back.”

Mark’s reaction to the words was something like watching a computer breakdown. He blinked several times, tried to open his mouth and even shuffled in place as his ears, face, and neck all turned pink. 

However entertaining watching Mark was, Taemin kept noticing how Jongin would move away from him with a pained expression and it made his chest hurt. 

If anyone should be acting weird right now, it was him. He was the one who saw Jongin fucking Chanyeol mere hours after they made out and almost did the same on the living room couch.

The comfort of Taemin’s alcohol-induced indifference was wearing off and he could feel the anger, jealousy and other emotions swirl up from the tips of his toes and settle in the pit of his stomach. 

He wanted to be alone. 

But, they needed to at least clean up the trash from the ground and then finish the rest after they slept.

Avoiding Taemin was much harder now that it was just the four of them—Johnny, Mark, Taemin and himself—moving quickly in different states of inebriation to pick up litter on the floor and put it into giant black trash bags.

The first few cups he shoved into the bag got crushed entirely unnecessarily, but his nerves were at an all-time high and his hands were shaking.

The sex and weed had temporarily eased his mind, but now that the high was wearing off, the same anxiety that had clawed at his gut after he’d left his room, returned.

The sharp pains continued making it hard to focus and each time he attempted to take a glance in Taemin’s direction, he was met with a look of cold indifference. So, he tried to avoid him the best he could.

Jongin was the last to fill up his bag, completely clearing the kitchen counter and floor, as well as half the living room. He stood by the front door for a few awkward moments, staring at the wall and wondering just how fucked up everything truly was.

Did Taemin know about him sleeping with Chanyeol? 

Even thinking about it made Jongin stomach toss in apprehension.

“I think we can call it quits for the night. We can finish up later,” Johnny announced.

It scared the shit out of Jongin and only his quick reflexes stopped him from crashing to the floor.

Mark and Johnny rushed to him and asked him if he was okay, but Taemin stood back and just looked at him with narrow eyes.

Suddenly the chance that Taemin knew what he’d done increased dramatically. 

He was fucked.

Going to sleep with the alcohol still coursing through his system was easy and he barely managed to kick off his pants before climbing into Johnny’s bed and passing out.

As he slept, images of Donghyuck in his duck imprinted pajamas handing Mark cups of steaming coffee danced across his eyelids.

Whenever he accepted said cups, their hands brushed and Donghyuck shot Mark a smile so bright, he felt awkward and stumbled over his words, even though he knew it was a dream.

Even dream Mark couldn’t catch a break.

Early afternoon came quickly for everyone and by 4 PM, all four of them were awake and in various stages of recovery from the events of the morning. 

Taemin was hunched over a bowl of steaming pho at the kitchen table, slurping at the noodles while he scrolled down his Instagram feed. If his mention’s tab was anything to go by, several people had tagged him in pictures from the party.

The first few were of Taemin doing body shots off Choi Minho, the captain of the collegiate soccer team’s body. There were also a few videos as well, showing that people enthusiastically cheering him on.

Across the room, seated on the couch with his legs crossed, Jongin was also eating a bowl of pho. 

Seeing the two trying to be so far apart while still being in the same room was weird. Especially since Mark had definitely seen Jongin sit on Taemin’s lap or be as close as humanly possible whenever they were in each other’s presence. 

He wanted to ask about it but he knew it might come off as rude. Maybe when he was alone, he would ask Johnny to figure it out.

The entire vibe and mood of the apartment were off as they finished cleaning up and Johnny knew it wasn’t Mark.

Something happened between Taemin and Jongin and it didn’t seem to be anything positive like he’d been hoping.

Whenever Jongin tried to approach Taemin, Taemin would turn away or find some excuse to move to another part of the house despite it being clear that he’d seen Jongin’s efforts. 

Had something sexually finally happened and made things awkward?

No, that couldn’t be. Jongin and Taemin oozed with sexual tension and attraction. It was one of the reasons why people found it odd and uncomfortable to be close friends with the two. 

When together, it made any other person with them feel like a third wheel, no matter that they weren’t an actual couple. 

Now, however, Taemin and Jongin wouldn’t even make direct eye contact.

Weird.


	4. Big Wreck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tension is running at an all-time high and Taemin snaps. Mark enjoys some coffee and good conversation, while Johnny makes plans with Taeyong.

The atmosphere of Starbucks was warm and welcoming. With his hoodie pulled up over his head and a pair of Johnny’s old joggers, he fit in as well as anyone else. 

He barely stepped into the coffee shop before he was accosted by a bear hug that triggered his fight-or-flight senses. 

Mark should’ve known that Donghyuck would try something like that. Everything he’d noticed about him last night pointed to that. 

“So, you came? What should I fix for you?” Mark tried to get a handle on his nerves and slow his pulse while also keeping a pleasant--totally not terrified and nervous---smile on his face. 

“A mocha frapp, please,” even as Mark spoke, his face turned red.

Donghyuck finally let him go and waltzed behind the counter, eyeing the many ingredients before he started on the drink. 

Mark felt stupid standing in the middle of the walkway, so he shuffled to the counter and sat at a bar stool overlooking the prep station. 

Really it shouldn’t have been hot how quickly and precise Donghyuck moved, completing the drink before Mark could even settle in his seat. Just as he was about to add the whipped cream, Mark stopped him with a small wave and Donghyuck put a lid on his cup. 

He held out the cup for Mark to grab and when he reached for it, Donghyuck snatched it away, a wide grin on his face. 

“Kun, tell Jaehyun I’m taking my break.” The person who Mark assumed was Kun, nodded curtly and continued to work. With Mark’s drink, Donghyuck disappeared behind a wall and came back without an apron.

There were also sandwiches piled on a plate in his other hand. 

“These are about to expire and if we don’t eat them, we have to trash them. You don’t mind right?” Mark didn’t. “Plus, they go well with this frapp.” 

With that, Donghyuck placed the cup in front of Mark and made a flourish with hands. 

“Enjoy the fruits of my labor.” 

This guy was weird. Like really weird. 

Why did Mark like him again? 

That’s when he smiled and Mark remembered again. This time there was no alcoholic haze to sugarcoat anything.

He was just his sober—lame—self and Donghyuck didn’t look any less appealing. 

Sitting across the table from Taeyong seemed like a fever dream at best, but Johnny was doing his best to keep it together. 

Every few bites from his toast or fries, he’d look up and smile at Johnny so wide that his eyes crinkled at the corners. 

“Your chicken fingers are gonna get cold if you keep staring at me.” He probably hadn’t meant his lip-licking to be sexy, but Johnny definitely thought it was and he shifted in his seat. 

“Earth to John,” Taeyong called, waving his hands quickly in front of Johnny’s face. 

“Ye-yeah, sorry. Just spaced out there…” He really was lame, but the short laugh Taeyong let out was consolation enough.

He’d spaced out again, so when he heard Taeyong say something was ‘so cute’ Johnny’s eyes shut up, looking around. 

“I was calling you cute,” Taeyong sighed, reaching across the table with his clean hand and squeezing Johnny’s bigger one.

Now was the time to start a conversation before he blushed and embarrassed himself further, so Johnny searched for something to talk about it.

When he came up blank after a few moments, Taeyong helped him along. 

“So, I was wondering. There’s this new movie on Netflix, I was wondering if you wanted to come over and watch it with me. We could order food in and make it a date.” If Johnny’s heart hadn’t been beating in his throat, he would’ve noticed how nervous Taeyong was as well. 

The idea of possibly of Netflixing and chilling with Taeyong made his entire body run hot.

But maybe he was getting too far ahead of himself? What if Taeyong only wanted to eat and watch a movie, actually chill? 

Nothing sexual included.

Taeyong watched in silence as Johnny’s entire face reddened and he let out a snort, turning his head away. The sound made Johnny focus and he blinked a few times before taking a sip of his drink to stop his tongue from sticking to the roof of his mouth. 

“Sure,” Johnny said the word slowly, trying—and failing—to hide just how flustered he was at the idea. 

“So, you’re still in high school? I just figured you were a freshman like me,” Donghyuck trailed off, a smile still on his face. 

Mark hesitated to tell him the truth, but he also hated lying so after a temporary mental standstill, Mark told him everything. 

Well, everything that had to do with him. 

“Yeah, if things pan out, I’ll be here next semester.” The sparkle in Donghyuck’s eyes was undeniable and it made something warm feel Mark’s chest.

“I’ll make sure to show you around campus. You’ll see me so much, you’ll get sick of me.” Mark gave a small smile and he shook his head. 

He couldn’t ever see himself getting sick of Donghyuck, even with his screeching and overly personal way of approaching Mark.

“Promise?” Mark asked, raising his pinky. Donghyuck stared at him for a few beats, then hooked their pinkies together.

“Corny, but yeah. I promise.” When Mark looked down at his phone, he realized that it was time for him to head back to Johnny’s apartment. He needed to pack and get ready to go home. 

The expression on Donghyuck’s face made Mark’s chest hurt, but he had to go, so he finished his drink and the last bit of his sandwich, then cleaned up everything the best he could. 

“So, uh, I guess I’ll be seeing you around, eventually.” With a slow nod, Mark retreated from the Starbucks and started his trek back. 

Taemin watched the soccer game with a glazed expression on his face, only reacting whenever he heard cheering close to him because it meant their school’s team scored.

At halftime, warm fingers pinched at his cheeks and drew his attention to right in front of him. Minho’s skin was glowing with a light sheen of sweat and he looked amazing in his uniform, but Taemin wasn’t in the headspace to thirst after him like he usually did.

He was thinking about Jongin and everything that’d gone down at the party. 

Had Jongin fucked Chanyeol to spite him?

No, that didn’t make sense. Jongin didn’t hate him. After what happened in the living room prior to the party, that much was obvious.

So, why had Jongin done what he did? 

He couldn’t figure it out and it made him angry because they were usually on the same wavelength.

“You seem distracted,” Kibum sighed, poking at Taemin’s cheek. 

“Just have a lot on my mind.” At first, the other seemed to accept his answer but then he hummed, probably studying him. 

If he left Kibum up to it, he would figure out what was bothering him.

The sounds of the crowd reacting to the game in front of them continued, but Kibum’s eyes stayed on Taemin.

“Haven’t seen you with Jongin. Where is he?” Right on the head, as usual. 

“How am I supposed to know? He’s not my boyfriend,” Taemin sneered before catching himself. 

From the way, Kibum’s eyes lit up and one of his eyebrows raised, he knew he’d gotten to the root of Taemin’s distraction. 

Rather than reacting with fire, Kibum only crossed his legs.

“I didn’t say he was. You’re both just usually attached at the hip. Do you want him to be your boyfriend? Is that why you’re so grumpy and out of it?” 

The silence that sat between was heavy and answered Kibum’s question. There was no use in keeping mum about it now.

“He keeps sending me mixed signals. How do you kiss someone and then go and fuck someone else hours later?” 

Kibum leaned back, blinking a few times before he let out a loud exhale. 

“You two have been dancing around each other since, what, the tenth grade? Maybe instead of dancing, you both need to sit down and have a conversation about it.”

Easier said than done, but Taemin couldn’t come out and say that. If he knew Jongin as well as he thought, the other would avoid talking to him directly like the plague. 

It was how they were similar. 

Jongin stumbled over his own feet and landed on the wooden floor with an echoed thump.

His concentration was off and never had he been happier to be alone in the studio. It wouldn’t do any good to have the underclassmen seeing him off his game. 

The entire situation with Taemin made it hard to be home, so he went to the second-best place to clear his mind, the dance studio. 

With the dimmed lights and low sultry music playing, Jongin got up from the floor as best he could and stared at himself in the mirror.

His indecision would cost him everything if he didn’t make a move. 

That much he knew as he stared at his exhausted reflection in the mirror. 

“Will you come home for the summer? Mom and dad miss you,” Mark asked, looking out the window as Johnny drove him to the bus station. 

Tension immediately rose up Johnny’s back and neck, making him feel stiff. He hated going home. 

Mark knew that, but a self part of him still made him utter the words. He knew if he asked Johnny to come, he would. Just for him, not for their parents.

“They’re not,” Mark paused, taking a deep breath, “they’re not as bad as they used to be.” 

Johnny rolled his shoulders and softly nodded.

“Okay. I’ll come for a bit, but I’m not staying. If you want to leave, you can come and stay with me again.” His words still reflected how uncomfortable he was, but Mark could tell he was trying.

Loosening up. 

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Mark turned from the window and stared at his brother.

“You know, I decided I’m going to go to your school. I like the campus and everyone I met this week were nice. Is that okay?” Johnny gave him a brief look of surprise before he turned his attention back to the road. 

“Is that what you really want? Are you still thinking about doing music?”

“Yeah, but dad says they won’t pay for it. I might just do Creative Writing with a minor in music. I like writing anyway.” 

More than anything, it hurt to hear because of how much he knew Mark loved music. After all, he’d been obsessed with instruments and had learned to play every instrument the church had to offer.

When he’d turned ten and got his first guitar, they were inseparable until Johnny saved up his money from a part-time job and bought him a Gibson. It’d put him out more than a grand, but the smile on Mark’s face when he came home from school and saw the box sitting on his bed was priceless. 

If only Johnny was finished with school and settled into a career, then he could just pay Mark’s tuition himself and he wouldn’t have to worry about if their parents approved or not.

Fuck their approval.

“Yeah, that might be for the best,” is what Johnny settled on saying. Mark already knew how he felt about their parents.

Their conversation tapered off as Johnny pulled up the station.

He offered to wait with Mark, but Mark insisted that he go back home.

“You probably should be studying anyway. Besides, I should probably call Chenle and Jisung. They’ve been bugging me about details from the trip and I’ve been ignoring them,” which was true. Mark had indeed been declining class and leaving messages on read, especially when he went to see Donghyuck. 

They were probably going to let him have it when they saw him, so he figured he’d better quell their anger with a Facetime before he got on the bus. 

Johnny was reluctant, but eventually, he hugged Mark and watched him go inside the station to wait for the bus.

Jongin inched into the house like he was an unwelcome visitor, peeking about the corner and quickly going into his room. 

There was no sign of Taemin, which was both a blessing, yet damning. 

It was a Tuesday afternoon and usually after they’d smoked a bowl or two, they’d binge an anime on Hulu or Netflix. Now, the living room was quiet and the house was still smoking paraphernalia free from Mark’s visit. 

Instead of dwelling on, Jongin ran a bath in his bathroom and lit a blunt. 

Whenever he needed time to think, he’d soak in a bubble bath and smoke.

Though this time, by the time all the bubbles had popped and the blunt was approaching roach territory, his mind was still heavy and his tongue felt like a cinder block.

He needed to talk to Taemin immediately. 

He still wasn’t sure what he wanted them to be, but whatever they were right at that moment, was something he decidedly hated. He hadn’t even had a full twenty four hours of Taemin avoiding him.

Pathetic, in more ways than one. 

Taemin watched the reflection of Minho drying off after a shower and he attempted to drown all thoughts of Jongin.

After weeks of Minho coming onto him, both subtle and not-so-subtly, he’d finally agreed to go to his apartment to ‘binge Running Man episodes’ and eat food Minho insisted he knew how to cook.

No matter how he twisted it, it was a date. 

Unlike Taemin and several of their other friends, Minho lived alone. That meant that there weren’t going to be any of the usual interruptions that came with having roommates. 

Taemin wandered from the hallway and settled on the couch, staring at his phone.

Currently, there were two messages, neither of which he wanted to open. 

The first was from Kibum, advising him that hanging out with Minho to take his mind off Jongin wasn’t the brightest of ideas. The second was from Jongin and it just read that they “needed to talk.” 

Just thinking about everything involved with message number two made Taemin’s head hurt and his stomach turn, so he put his phone face down on the cushion. 

He wasn’t dealing with Jongin right now. 

No, he was going to go through the motions with Minho and hopefully blow off steam with attachment-free sex.

His phone vibrated again and he folded his hands in front of him, shuffling to settle into a comfortable spot on the couch. 

Not too long after, Minho walked out of the bedroom in comfortable clothes and Taemin’s mouth watered when he noticed the other had forgone underwear.

He hadn’t hooked up with Minho but Taemin had heard great reviews and if the way Minho had been pursuing him was an indication of how much the other liked him, then he was in for a ride. 

Literally. 

On an athletic scholarship and notoriously straight-laced, Minho didn’t smoke, but he did indulge in alcohol. After dinner, Taemin had been about to ask about beers but Minho beat him to it and handed one to him as he settled back on the couch.

Their thighs were touching and despite the situation being something like a rebound, that didn’t stop Taemin from getting a twisting feeling in his stomach. 

Minho was so hot and so kind and Taemin felt a little bad about using him.

“Taem, you-uh-know how I feel about you right?” Taemin tore his eyes away from the screen and glanced over Minho, particularly at Minho’s lap. 

He was already hard, despite Taemin not making any efforts to touch him. 

He could also add gentleman-like to his perfection checklist. 

“Yeah, I do. Let’s go to your room,” with that Taemin reached for Minho’s hand and pulled him onto his feet, then into the bedroom.

Jongin really shouldn’t have noticed because he was supposed to be absorbed in a game of Smash with Johnny, but as soon as Taemin walked through the door, he gave him a hard once-over. 

Even Johnny noticed Taemin’s unusual level of dishevelment and raised an eyebrow. The fact that he was also walking slower than usual was the dead giveaway. 

With blooming bruises on either side of his neck, as well as a few that were so poorly hidden by his thin, white v-neck. The shirt also wasn’t tucked in, which was odd for Taemin. 

“Finally got at Choi Minho right?” Johnny whistled, actually pausing the game so he could gawk at Taemin for himself. 

He didn’t answer and instead made direct eye contact with Jongin before he slinking off to his room. When he reached to close the door behind him, it didn’t click and he turned, coming face to face with Jongin. 

“Does this make us even? This is killing me.” It should’ve made Taemin relieved because he hated fighting with Jongin.

Instead, the hot, fiery feeling of anger curled up in his gut and threatened to burn him from the inside out. 

“This is not an even exchange type of thing Jongin. It’s never been like that.” Jongin stared at him with a kicked puppy look and it only added to the fire inside him.

“You can’t expect for me to be excited at the prospect of a relationship after all these years, then you fuck some rando not even twelve hours later. It’s like you think I’m a joke. Like dating me is a joke, yet you always want a safety net.” The words spilled from his mouth like shower and he could tell with each word that he was taking Jongin apart, piece by piece.

Jongin opened his mouth like he was going to talk but decided against it and shook his head, his eyes brimming with tears. 

Getting it off his chest should’ve felt good like a weight was gone. Not like he’d been kicked in the chest. 

After a few heavy moments of Jongin sniffling and silence from Taemin’s part, Jongin wiped his face and cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry.” After that, he disappeared.

A few seconds later, the front door slammed and Taemin lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. 

“Dude, what the fuck?” Taemin couldn’t even be bothered to sit up and acknowledge Johnny standing at his door.

Johnny didn’t stay long, because after some time of no response, footsteps retreated from his doorway.

Fuck.


	5. Blue Dreams Plus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, Johnny and Mark's parents are the worst.

The concept of Jongin and Taemin actively avoiding each other was foreign for Johnny, but it became everyday life.

Whenever Jongin was home, Taemin would manage to not be there and vice versa.

Had he not been so perplexed and confused, he would’ve been amazed by the level of coordination.

It’s already been almost a week since Taemin’s blow-up and he still was no closer to finding out exactly what happened.

As a last-ditch effort, he called Mark and asked about it.

“I don’t know if it’s any of my business to say.”

As respectful as Mark was, it was aggravating at times like this and had been the source of many childhood fights.

“I just want to help them. They had a bad fight and if I can figure out what about, I can help.” It was a flimsy reason at best, but it was true.

It was tiring and he missed his best friends. Plus, smoking alone wasn't as fun as smoking with those two.

“Well, at the party I think Jongin hooked up with someone and Taemin saw them and got upset. He drank a lot after that and didn’t talk to Jongin. The vibe was also weird when I left.”

That explained most of it but there were still pieces he needed to understand everything.

“Ah, I see. Thank you, I’ll try my best to help them make up.” Make made a relieved sound and they made small talk before hanging up.

He was smoking too much. It was quite obvious when he walked into his queer theory class and all the other students turned to look at him, snickering.

“You smell dank,” Chanyeol spoke, making a show of fanning the air in front of his face.

Jongin barely reacted, only giving him a brief nod before slipping his laptop out of his bag.

In the reflection of the black screen, red eyes stared back at him.

Earlier that morning, he’d crossed paths with Taemin and they avoided making eye contact.

It hurt like hell.

Everything Taemin had said was right.

He was a horrible stupid person. That much he knew.

It still hurt not talking to a person he’d talked to nearly every day since they were little.

If he wanted to fix things.

If he even could.

Step one was definitely admitting his more-than-platonic feelings for Taemin.

“Being high as fuck aside, you look bad. Have you been sleeping?” Jongin blinked and sunk deeper into his hoodie.

No, he hadn’t.

Chanyeol took the silence as an answer and finally left Jongin alone.

Had Jongin cared enough, he would’ve wondered how or why Chanyeol was even talking to him after he’d treated him at the party, but it seemed that his reputation preceded him.

Usually, the people he hooked up with still managed to be friends with him, even the ones who held feelings for him. Taemin once told him it was because his personality was warm, so it was hard to hate him.

Which was why Jongin was having such a hard time with the fact that Taemin seemed to do just that.

Hate him.

Unlike the cold environment his own apartment had become, Taeyong’s was full of life and felt welcoming.

Situated against the wall, there was a terrarium with lizards, as well as a large fish tank with half a dozen goldfish swimming around plants and porcelain houses. It was also, quite literally, very warm inside.

When Johnny stepped inside, he immediately peeled off his jacket and placed it on a nearby coat rack.

“Taking off your clothes already?” Taeyong joking, smirking in a way he knew made Johnny flustered.

“No, it just feels like a summer day in here, fuck,” he huffed in response, trying to hide how Taeyong’s words affected him.

He wasn’t doing well.

As promised, they ate pizza and watched the movie Taeyong had mentioned.

It’d been nearly three weeks since the party and every date or hangout seemed to make Johnny like Taeyong more.

It also made him want more.

The intensity of their kisses deepened with every meeting and the date prior to them watching the movie, Taeyong’s smaller and more insistent hands had waited at the waistband of his pants.

Had he not been so worked up and afraid of making a mistake, they might’ve gone further. Johnny had lost his chance to work up the nerve then, because Taeyong had gotten a call from his roommate, saying he’d locked himself out.

Now, they were in a similar position but this time there’d be no roommate interruptions.

Taeil, Taeyong’s roommate, had gone home for the weekend, so it was just them.

Taeyong made sure that Johnny knew that prior to coming over. Like he was expecting something to happen.

Really it should’ve been funny how obvious he was being, but because Johnny was just a bundle of nerves and anxiety, he only saw it as Taeyong casually mentioning it.

“You know if you ever want to hang out, like randomly, just text me. I’m either here, the shop or at the dance studio,” Taeyong mentioned.

Their discussion about the movie had tapered off and Johnny could feel the tossing in the pit of his stomach return because it felt like something was about to happen.

Taeyong’s eyes were drawn to him and he had a soft smile that was always present whenever he looked at Johnny. When he reached to brush silver strands out his face, he leaned forward.

“If I ask you to stay the night, would that be too much too soon?” Taeyong was nervous as well. His nervous ticks, like tugging loose threads on his clothes and gently balling his fists, had made several appearances. Johnny had unintentionally been studying him and taking in whatever small details he could.

If Johnny’s heart hadn’t been threatening to jump out of his throat and launch itself into Taeyong’s lap, he would’ve spoken. Instead, he shook his head.

No, it wasn’t too much.

The hollow feeling inside his chest persisted and Taemin did his best to ignore it, but it was becoming hard. When he was dancing, it felt like his limbs refused to bend in the right direction and the music didn’t seep into his bones like it usually did.

He felt broken.

In the very few classes that he shared with Jongin, he could tell that the other wasn’t better off. They’d gotten to be pros at avoiding each other at the apartment, so the only place Taemin really saw the other man, was on campus.

Jongin kept missing beats and breaking his concentration, obviously staring at Taemin in the large mirror. Whenever he caught his gaze, Jongin would look away like a kicked puppy and keep trying to follow the directions of the teacher.

The teacher that was getting progressively fed up with her best dancers failing to execute her choreography. Taemin could tell from the way she stared at them in the mirror.

When she narrowed her cat-like eyes, Taemin knew she was going to say something.

Just as expected, Professor Kwon pulled them both aside after she dismissed the class and put her hands on her narrow hips.

“I don’t know what the hell is going on with you two, but you better fix it and do it soon. Your performances have been out of sync for weeks. I haven’t said anything to be nice, but now it’s starting to really aggravate me. Fix it and don’t make me ask you again.”

Both Jongin and Taemin gave stiff nods with their eyes cast to the floor.

The small woman looked between them again, then padded off in the direction of her office. Neither Taemin or Jongin made a move, standing completely still.

“I’m sorry,” Taemin mumbled, still staring at his feet.

He didn’t see, so much as hear Jongin let out an exhale, “you don’t need to apologize for anything. It’s me who’s the jackass.”

“We shouldn’t have this conversation here,” Taemin said, finally looking up. Jongin’s lips were pressed into a tight line and he looked ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.

Jongin also seemed reluctant to make eye contact. Scared even.

It hurt and made Taemin’s throat tight, so he looked away and hurried to find a place to talk.

It took several minutes before Taemin found a lounge area hidden in a back corner. He hadn’t even noticed the area before, but he was glad that it was there and sat down quickly.

Jongin stood up, staring down at him for a few beats before he sat in the chair across from him.

From the way he was sitting ramrod straight, Taemin could tell he was uncomfortable. That in itself felt like another blow to the chest.

This had to end.

“When I yelled at you, I was wrong. I know we’ve both been struggling with things and coming to terms with the weird dynamic we’ve always had, but I had no reason to blow up like that.”

Jongin blinked a few times, his face carefully blank as he processed the words.

Then he shook his head, “no, you were right to blow up on me and if it hadn’t happened, I would’ve never come face to face with the truth. I have been using you and I feel like shit about it.”

Taemin had prepared a whole speech in his head, but after hearing Jongin’s words, the words vanished in thin air. Jongin seemed to realize that and kept going.

“I’ve had feelings for you since before we hit puberty. I’ve never really known if,” Jongin stopped, trying to find the words, “if you liked _liked_ me. Then halfway through high school, we started physically being closer. You would kiss me more or hold my hand, sit in my lap. It confused me and then college started. And I started…”

Jongin’s words trailed off and Taemin filled them in silently, already knowing what Jongin was referring to.

“Experimenting,” was a soft and simplified way to put it. Jongin nodded at Taemin’s addition and took a deep breath.

“Experimenting, yeah. We can call it that. You never really reacted much initially, but then the thing before the party and Chanyeol and things got kinda fucked from there.”

Silence settled over them and Taemin took his time sorting through his thoughts before he started talking. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing now that Jongin was talking to him.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said. I know you’re just as confused as me, I just…” Taemin trailed off, “I just need to know. Are we together or not? Do you want to only be friends or do you want to date? I need an answer because I can’t keep playing around like this.”

Taemin had barely spoken above a whisper, but Jongin could hear him loud and clear.

“Together. I’ve never wanted to be with someone more in my life,” Jongin answered, looking up from the ground. His eyes were hopeful and he gave Taemin a small smile, his shoulders hunched.

He didn’t look like he was in flight mode anymore. Just worn down.

“Together,” Taemin repeated. He rolled the word around on his tongue for a bit, like it was a new taste despite that he’d thought about this same situation for years.

“Together,” Jongin said again, reaching for Taemin’s hands. Gazing directly into Taemin’s eyes, he took ahold of Taemin’s hands and squeezed.

They were finally together and there was no question about it.

Taeyong’s bed was much smaller than Johnny’s, but they managed to make it work. First, they’d smoked a bowl or two in the living room, then halfway through a season of a random sitcom, Taeyong got a sluggish smile on his face and rose to his feet, “let’s go to my bedroom.”

Johnny was quite high, but even so, he knew what that meant and he responded immediately, following Taeyong.

The first thing he noticed was that Taeyong’s bed was barely bigger than a twin, but that didn’t matter.

What did matter was how hot Taeyong’s mouth was on Johnny’s as he straddled him, kissing him like they had all the time in the world.

It was almost overwhelming.

Small, cool hands slipped underneath Johnny’s sweater and stroked the gently toned muscles on his stomach, making him nearly bite Taeyong’s tongue. Instead of being upset, Taeyong only hummed and kept going until he reached Johnny’s nipples.

Johnny hadn’t really spent much time playing with his own nipples, so he’d always figured it didn’t do it for him, but under Taeyong’s touch, he kept moaning into their kisses.

Into Taeyong’s mouth.

He could already feel how hard the other was and if he hadn’t been so focused on not biting or accidentally throwing Taeyong off the bed, he would’ve been flustered.

Taeyong wanted this as much as he did, if not more. That was obvious.

And so arousing.

“Lemme take this off,” Taeyong muttered when they broke apart for a breather.

Johnny didn’t have to see himself to know that his face was burning hot and it only burned hotter when Taeyong raised his t-shirt over his head and threw it into a corner of the room.

He wasn’t by any means ripped, but his torso was lean and toned. Definitely spoke volumes about how much he danced.

When he saw that Johnny was admiring him from below, he grinned and leaned closer, “like what you see?”

Like the idiot that Johnny was, he nodded.

It was true, he did.

He liked it even better when Taeyong’s hands slipped past the waistband of his jeans and palmed him over his underwear, giving experimental squeezes every so often.

Johnny’s heart was still thumping hard in his chest and when Taeyong started to move down, it was like all of the blood rushed to his dick.

He couldn’t think straight. Definitely not when Taeyong looked up at him and pulled at his pants, silently urging him to lift his hips so he could continue.

Before Johnny could blink, his pants were pulled down past his knees and Taeyong’s warm breath on his crotch was fizzling whatever coherent thoughts he had left. He could only think about how hard he was, how close Taeyong was to his dick and how glad he was that Taeyong was the one coming onto him and not the other way around.

He definitely would’ve fallen off the bed or tried to be sexy and ruined the mood.

The same small hands that had rid him of his pants, pulled at his underwear and for a second, he felt shy but lifted his hips anyway. Johnny was glad he did too.

Taeyong’s mouth on the crown on his dick far outweighed the feeling of embarrassment.

By a fuckton.

He hadn’t smoked anything, but he felt lightheaded as he watched Taeyong work him over.

“Yo-you’re so good” Johnny mumbled, running a shaky hand through Taeyong’s mint-colored hair as he licked up the shaft, not breaking eye contact.

It’d been too long since his dick had been in someone else’s hand, much less near someone’s mouth, so he had to focus all his brain cells on trying not to come.

Soft lips wrapped around the head and Johnny’s grip on Taeyong’s hair tightened. It should’ve been painful, but Taeyong only moaned around him, sending soft vibrations down his dick.

He was going to come soon and the thought of what Taeyong would look like when he did expedited things.

Finals were looming over Mark’s head, but instead of studying, he could only think about Donghyuck.

Even when he’d just gotten off the phone with him or finished messaging him, the other boy was still on his mind. It lead to Mark being more airheaded and lost-in-thought than usual and his friends noticed.

And teased him for it.

“Minhyungie thinking about his boyfriend?” Chenle drew out the last word in a sing-song voice, tilting his head and scrunching up his face for extra effect.

It was annoying because they kept doing, but Mark couldn’t be upset.

They were right. He was being kind of a sap, but to his credit, he’d never liked anyone like this before. Everything was new.

From the random text messages with memes or a stupid selfie that Donghyuck took in the bathroom during his break to the phone calls that lasted well into the night where they talked about anything and everything.

This was something he’d never had.

The two or three girlfriends he had would occasionally call or text him, but with Donghyuck it was different. He never had to worry about what he said and wonder if he sounded stupid or uncool, he could just be himself.

Donghyuck seemed to be really like it and it made warmth bloom in Mark’s chest.

“You know how couples usually break up when they go to college? Mark is doing the opposite, he’s going in with a boyfriend already waiting for him. How lucky,” Jeno sighed as he slumped down onto the table and stared up at Mark, “get me a boyfriend too, fuck.”

Mark felt a pang in his chest and he reached across the table to pat Jeno on the head, “I’ll do my best. Aren’t you going to school in Texas though?” Jeno gave a soft nod and pouted harder.

“You can still find me one though. Go with Donghae—was that his name—and find me one and bring him here.”

“Well if you’re finding boyfriends, look for a hot girl too. I know your brother’s school has plenty,” Jisung added, shimmying his shoulders.

Just because he’d hit a growth spurt and towered over the rest of them, he forgot the minor, yet very important age gap between them. He was still on a sophomore while the rest of them were graduating seniors.

“If any college girl looks at you, I hope she hears police sirens,” Jaemin said, giving Jisung’s wide shoulders a shove. The group, sans Jisung, dissolved into laughter while the youngest glared with disdain. It was just another reminder that while the others would be going off to college in the Fall, he would be stuck in high school for another two years.

The laughter stopped when Mark’s cell phone rang and he looked down at the screen before sighing.

It was his parents.

The moment he picked up the call, his mother’s voice came through, “are you on your way back home? You know your curfew is in an hour. Also, finals are coming up, so you really should be studying. Not to mention we have church tomorrow and,” she continued to drone on for a moment or two before Mark accidentally sighed into the receiver. Then, she got angry.

“You know what? Come home now, since you want to have an attitude with me. I’m only looking out for you. The older you get, the more you act like your brother.” With that, she hung up the phone and Mark squeezed his phone tighter in his hand and gritted his teeth.

“I have to go home now. My mom wants me to start studying for finals and get ready for church tomorrow.” Even if both he and his friends were used to it, the other boys let out varying noises of annoyance.

“How many more days till graduation?” Jaemin muttered, already moving to clear up their trash. He was the only one in the group with a car and license, so that meant he had to drop Mark off.

“Twenty. I have a countdown on my phone,” Jeno answered, quickly flashing his phone screen in Jaemin’s face.

It must’ve been funny because Jaemin snorted and nodded before fishing his keys from his pocket, “let’s get going then. Don’t want your mom to be more upset.”

Just like that, a day that’d started well ended on a stale note.

The mood that’d been permeating through the entire apartment disappeared when Taemin and Jongin stumbled inside, attached at the lips.  
Really, it wasn’t the first time they’d kissed, but it was the first time that Jongin was pulling at Taemin’s clothes and nipping at his neck as he tried to lock the door behind them.

It was also a first when he finally had Jongin underneath him, naked and exposed in his bedroom. There was no cloudiness or indecisiveness to be found anywhere on his face.

Instead, Jongin was looking up at Taemin like he was everything and it felt like they’d danced around things for far too long.

Empty hook-ups that left him temporarily sated were over.

Now, Jongin fought to keep his senses as Taemin mouthed each and every inch of his skin that gave so easily to his teeth. He couldn’t stop himself from shaking and nearly crying as Taemin touched him like he would break and disappear.

Like he was special and meant something.

Even when Taemin ignored his dick in favor of his nipples, his collar, neck, and lips, Jongin couldn’t find any words to say.

He wasn’t sure what to beg for because he wanted it all. Anything that Taemin would give him would satisfy and make him happy.

Make him feel like he was walking on clouds, no drugs necessary.

Though, he would definitely put that on the list to experience another time.

Right now, he was focused on how different Taemin’s actions and expressions were now that they were together.

He seemed to concentrate more and ate up each and every one of Jongin’s moans, swallowing them as he slipped another finger alongside the first one.

Tears were no longer beyond Jongin and he cried out when Taemin found the bundle of nerves inside of him. Hot, wet tears poured down his cheeks and he moved his hips, chasing the electric feeling of Taemin rubbing, massaging and fondling along his walls.

Jongin’s body was on sensory overload and he could only continue to pant and hold on, letting out a wail when Taemin finally pushed inside of him.

His reactions were definitely doing something to Taemin because the other bit into his bottom lip and his entire face scrunched in concentration while beads of sweat collected at his hairline.

One of Taemin’s hands gripped at Jongin’s waist as he rolled his hips in a way that pulled little gasping whines from Jongin.

“Fuck, Jongin,” Taemin mumbled when Jongin’s nails raked down his back and the stinging feeling hit him. Rather than flinch at the pain, Taemin leaned into it and pushed into Jongin deeper.

Like a bedframe being very carefully wiggled apart at the joints, the squeaking of the mattress accelerated until it was accompanied by the thump of the headboard against the wall.

Looking hot wasn’t even the main point anymore as Jongin wrapped his legs around Taemin’s waist. He was just holding on and letting the pleasure hit and wash over him like waves onto a beach.

“Tae—Tae—Min, so close.” Jongin could barely string together words once Taemin reached between their sweat-slicked bodies and started stroking him. Matched with his unforgiving thrusts, it only took a few moments before streaks of white painted both their chests and Taemin’s fist.

His body reacted before he could stop it and Johnny pushed Taeyong’s head away just as he came, which resulted in him nearly coming in his boyfriend’s eyes.

He did, however, come in Taeyong’s hair and yes, he wanted to die because of it.

Even though his body was still tingling with post-orgasm twinges, he frantically searched for tissues to clean up the mess he’d made.

“Oh my god, I’m so so so sor-sorry. I’m such a fucking idiot,” Johnny mumbled as he finally found the tissues and leaned over to wipe at Taeyong’s face, then attempted to do the same to Taeyong’s hair.

If his mind had been working correctly, he would’ve realized that trying to wipe off jizz from hair wouldn’t be the most successful thing, but it wasn’t.

So he tried. And tried.

Until Taeyong reached up and grabbed his wrist.

“As much as I love your dedication to trying to get your come out my hair, there are more pressing issues,” there was humor in Taeyong’s voice as he guided Johnny’s hands from his hair to his very hard dick.

Johnny shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was and so he probably looked stupid as his jaw hung slack.

Taking Johnny’s face between his hands, Taeyong drew him into a languid kiss that lasted just long enough for Johnny to almost forget that he was mortified.

When they broke apart, Taeyong leaned over Johnny and opened his nightstand drawer, drawing out condoms and lube.

“Now, where were we?”

Taeyong straddled him again and pushed his ass against Johnny’s crotch, stirring twitches of arousal from his dick.

“Do you want to or should I?” Johnny’s brain didn’t process quite what he was asking, so he just shrugged, though things caught up when Taeyong scooted back and popped open the cap of the lube.

Oh.


	6. Lamb's Bread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny is very very nervous about having sex on such a small bed. Jongin and Taemin are unsurprisingly super domestic, very quickly. It's not like they've been basically pseudo-dating since they were 13. Mark and Donghyuck go on their first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we get any deeper into the story, for clarity sake, Mark is 18 and Donghyuck is 19. Mark is underage in terms of drinking alcohol and smoking weed (which is mostly legal in America; the age for both is 21). 
> 
> This goes back to the quick evacuation of the party the previous chapters. Smoking weed is legal, but not many people at the party were 21, thus underage drinking *and* smoking was involved.

Instead of the usual dash to slip back into his clothes, Jongin curled around Taemin and refused to let the other get up, even when he complained that they were sticky. 

He felt emotionally drained, but in a positive way, like he’d cried after a long bout of not crying. 

After the first two protests, Taemin gave up and pulled the blanket over them with a sigh.

“Whatever, I’ll just wash the sheets tomorrow.”

Since the beginning of their fight, Taemin had also been losing sleep and now that things were better and with Jongin trying to burrow beneath his skin, he felt like he could sleep for years.

“Taem,” Jongin called out softly, nudging Taemin with his chin. 

When he didn’t receive a response, Jongin smiled and nestled back against Taemin before also dropping off to sleep. 

The last thing he thought about was how Taemin’s arms tightened around him and pulled him even closer as he drifted. 

The line between coming down and just being high off the way Taeyong was massaging his prostate like it was a pressure point was becoming thinner and thinner.

Maybe it was the fact that they were alone in the apartment, but Johnny actually found himself actually moaning out loud. 

“The sounds you’re making are so sexy,” Taeyong groaned as he crooked his fingers in a way that made Johnny’s hips rise from the bed. 

Johnny was thankful he was already naked, because he would be sweating buckets if he still had on his clothes. So, there was one saving grace.

Another was that it was getting dark in the bedroom. 

Regular Johnny was overly conscious of himself and how other people perceived him. High Johnny was that amplified times one hundred. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about how his legs kept slipping off the edge of the bed as they shook from pleasure. Despite trying to relax and enjoy being teased within an inch of his life, he kept thinking about how much taller and bigger he was than Taeyong.

Plus, just how small was Taeyong’s bed? 

Taeyong must’ve noticed Johnny’s slip in attention, because used his free hand and tilted up Johnny’s face to draw him into a kiss that was more tongue than anything else. 

Whatever arousal that had waned while Johnny had let his thoughts take charge returned in tenfold. 

“Stop thinking and let me have you. All of you,” Taeyong spoke, his lips a breath apart from Johnny’s as they locked eyes.

It was embarrassing to be seen so clearly, like he was an open book but it also made warmth bloom inside his chest.

“Ah-alright,” Johnny mumbled, his voice faltering when Taeyong reached for his dick with his free hand. 

He may have also bitten his tongue as well, but he’d deal with that later.

The position they’d settled into was barely working for Taeyong’s glorified twin bed, but it didn’t seem to bother Taeyong as he settled between Johnny’s thighs. Already covered and slicked with lube.

Johnny couldn’t worry about it for too long though, because he’d clumsily given Taeyong’s dick a few curious touches and it seemed he’d have his hands—read: ass—full. So, there were better things to focus on, like the warm feeling of Taeyong pressing against him, then pressing into him slowly.

So maddeningly slow that he wanted to scream and he could’ve, but it didn’t seem appropriate, even if they were the only ones in the apartment. 

When Taeyong’s hips were pressed against Johnny’s ass, they both took simultaneous deep breaths, staring at one another.

Johnny knew even after Taeyong’s meticulous preparation, he was still tight. He was still thinking too much and tensing, but he was trying to relax. 

Warm hands smoothed down Johnny’s sides, settling on his hips as Taeyong moved gently. Johnny tightened his legs and it pulled the man on top of him closer

The kiss he initiated was much more chaste than their previous one, but it helped Johnny relax and Taeyong settled on rolling his hips. The change of angle pulled groans from Johnny as Taeyong brushed his prostate with each movement and his nails sunk into Taeyong’s shoulders.

It was an odd time to have an epiphany, but Johnny never was good at getting the right timing of things.

Taeyong’s furrowed brow, the way he was chewing his bottom lip as he concentrated on working into him, Johnny realized Taeyong had been really looking forward to this.

Just as much as he had, if not more, judging from the way he kept his movements deliberate like he wanted it to last as long as he could manage. 

Like he didn’t want it to end. 

The sentimentality of it all made Johnny harder and he clenched, hearing Taeyong immediately murmur profanities. 

He snaked a hand between their bodies and stroked himself, feeling his entire body tingle with jolts of electricity because Taeyong decided to exclusively aim for his prostate.  
Tingles turned to toe curling feelings as Taeyong sped up, holding onto Johnny tighter. He could hear the moans and heavy breathing directly into his ear and it made his hand move faster, drawing his orgasm closer. 

One of the hands left his hip and joined Johnny’s hand, enclosed on top his own and encouraging him to stroke faster and harder.

“Want you to come first,” Taeyong spoke, his words coming out winded because he was probably close to coming as well. 

Johnny was in no right mind to be sentimental about how Taeyong put him before himself because he was drawn into another kiss. His tongue was probably lazily sitting in his mouth because the rest of his body was focusing on his impending orgasm, but that didn’t seem to phase Taeyong.

Instead, he just kept moving his hips and then swallowed Johnny’s moans when he finally came. Johnny’s mind went blank and his entire body shook as Taeyong’s and his hand kept moving, milking ever bit from him. 

Only after he had finished coming did Taeyong finally break and come as well, returning the favor of moaning directly into his mouth. 

It was so hot, especially when he felt Taeyong pulse inside of him as he spilled into the condom. 

As he caught his breath, Taeyong buried his head in the crook of Johnny’s shoulder and the puffs of warm air from his nose tickled. Johnny wasn’t really in the mood to laugh though, because Taeyong started mouthing at his collar and revisiting bites he’d left earlier in the night. 

He tired dick twitched pathetically and he turned his neck, a smile on his face.

“We both just came,” Johnny groaned. 

“And?” Taeyong spoke, his voice muffled. 

Taemin hadn’t opened his eyes yet but that didn’t stop him from feeling the warmth around his dick.

Blindly, he felt underneath the cover and came in contact with hair, probably the top of Jongin’s head.

“As much as I love being woken up with a blowjob, god Jongin,” in response, Jongin laughed around his dick and it sent vibrations up his dick.  
“I have a list of things I want to do with you. It’s kind of long, so it might be better to start now.” It was a reasonable explanation and Taemin was so tempted to open his eyes, just to see his dick disappearing down Jongin’s throat. 

But he was also exhausted, having not slept well in the last few months, so he had a valid reason for wanting to hold onto the coattails of his sleep.

Though, Jongin made a convincing point when his throat tightened around Taemin’s dick as Jongin’s fingers fondled his balls. 

Jongin hated not being fully appreciated for his work, which is probably why he started making these wet noises that made two things happen. One, it was impossible to settle peacefully back to sleep and two, it was too hot and felt too good to go to sleep on. 

“If you’re trying to make sure I don’t go back to sleep, you’ve succeeded. My eyes are open,” Taemin grumbled, cracking open both his eyes.

It was pitch dark in his bedroom, but he could still vaguely make out the lump in the blanket where Jongin was sucking his dick like he was getting paid for it.

“Do you always give head so enthusiastically?” Taemin felt Jongin pull up for a few moments and he lifted up the covers, squinting to make out Jongin’s facial expression. 

“Only when I’m in love,” Jongin answered in a sweet voice. Even if Taemin couldn’t really see Jongin, he felt the emotion in his words and the moment felt entirely too sweet considering Jongin started to lick a thick, fat stripe up his dick immediately after he finished speaking. 

Donghyuck leaned over the table and put a dollop of whipped cream on Mark’s face as the other looked down at his phone.

“Your super cool college friend comes to visit you and you spend the time on your phone,” Donghyuck teased. Mark finished sending the text to his mother, telling her that he was hanging out with his friends and sat his phone face down onto the table.

“I’m sorry, just my mom,” Mark sighed, cursing inwardly when he let some of his annoyance slip. 

He’d only told Donghyuck a little bit about how overbearing his parents could be, not wanting it to affect the romantic relationship that Mark hoped they were building towards. 

“Ah, I see. Then, that’s fine,” Donghyuck corrected, immediately feeling bad. He reached for a napkin and removed the cream.

Mark gave him a small smile and Donghyuck smiled back in a way that made Mark’s face heat up and turn pink.

“So, remind me what the plans are for today?” 

“Uh, well we’re going gonna, uh, see that Ghibli movie you wanted to see. It’s playing at the theater and I bought us tickets after you, uh, mentioned it.” Mark stumbled over his words and stared at the table, trying to avoid looking Donghyuck in the eye. 

This wasn’t his first date, but it was his first date with Donghyuck and it meant way too much him. 

“Sounds good,” Donghyuck hummed, picking up his drink and finishing it off before he stood up, “let’s go.” 

Mark’s eyes widened and he didn’t even spare his mocha frap another glance as he got up, accepted Donghyuck’s outstretched hand and followed him out to his car.

Even as Donghyuck navigated through unfamiliar streets with only Mark’s directions, they still held hands over the console. 

It made butterflies flutter in his stomach, especially when Donghyuck tangled their fingers together and kept shoot him glances and smiles every time they stopped at a light.

The movie was even better than Mark had expected and he ended up doing the thing where he babbled endlessly about the different details he’d noticed. Jeno and Jisung had called him out on it a few times when they were poking fun at him, but it’d made him really self conscious. 

Now, however, that was forgotten and Donghyuck nodded along as Mark rambled over their dinner. 

A new Thai restaurant had open and despite many suggestions to go there with his friends, he saved the experience until then. To do with Donghyuck.

“This food is so good. It’s crazy how this is the first Thai restaurant in this city. We live in California for God’s sake,” Donghyuck commented around a spoonful of red curry noodle soup.

“Me either honestly, but I’m going to come to this place all the time. I wonder if they’re hiring?” 

As if summoned, their waiter appeared with a soft smile on his face, “I couldn’t help but overhear your question. As a matter of fact, we are hiring. Sorry, if this is weird.”

Donghyuck let out a chortle and drank some water, watching as the waiter—apparently named Ten—gave Mark an impromptu interview right then. 

“My family actually owns the restaurant, so I’ll let them know I might’ve found someone to help out. How soon can you start?” 

Mark thought about it and he looked at the calendar in his phone, “I graduate in two weeks, so probably after that until like August.” 

Ten’s eyes sparkled and he clapped his hands together quietly, “great! I’ll go tell my mom.”’

As Ten turned to do so, Mark’s smile faltered at those words. 

“And I’ll have to tell my mom. She’s gonna freak,” suddenly those butterflies in his stomach turned to a swarm of bees. 

Donghyuck debated reassuring Mark, but from the little he’d heard about Mark’s mother, he was probably right and the resulting argument—or just her screaming at Mark—would be a severely withdrawn and quiet Mark.

Instead, Donghyuck reached beneath the table and squeezed Mark’s knee.

The gesture was small, but it brightened Mark’s face a little.

After that, they finished dinner and Donghyuck insisted on paying for everything, ignoring Mark’s protest until he told him he could pay for their bubble tea. 

“You don’t have to treat me so much you know,” Mark mumbled.

It kind of reminded him that he still was in high school and he hated it, because it put a weird distance between him and Donghyuck in his mind. 

“It’s only right that I should treat on a date. Besides, I don’t mind.” There was a big stupid grin on Donghyuck’s face as he watched Mark pout. 

Mark kind of wanted to smack it off his face in the most affectionate way possible.

“But the next date, I’ll have a job, so it’ll be my treat,” Mark grumbled, not being able to stop himself. 

“Okay, Mr. Waiter,” Donghyuck sang, wiggling his eyebrows.

There were very few sleeping positions available for such a small bed, so when Johnny woke up with Taeyong curled up on top of him, he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face.

Until he noticed that they were both hard and Taeyong’s dick was pressed in his hip. Then, it became less cute. 

Taeyong yawned then slowly opened his eyes after a few moments of Johnny trying to figure out how to tamper down the arousal that was bubbling up from the depths of his stomach. Or maybe that was hunger? 

Either way, Taeyong was too cute and when he let out a raspy “hey,” Johnny restrained himself from cooing.

It was approaching ten pm, which meant they’d probably slept maybe two hours. That also meant it’d been five hours since they’d eaten. 

So the tossing in Johnny’s stomach probably was a mixture of arousal **and** hunger.

As if perfectly timed, Taeyong’s stomach let out a loud growl, making both of them laugh. 

“Should we order something else? We kind of ate all the pizza from earlier.” 

Taeyong gracefully slipped from on top of Johnny and stood beside the bed to turn on the lamp. 

In all his naked glory, he stretched his arms, legs and neck then grinned at Johnny.

“We’ll have to see what’s still open. Plus, we need to shower,” Taeyong’s eyes panned down to Johnny’s body, settling on where the cover was barely covering his dick. 

The blush that immediately colored Johnny’s face, coupled with how nervously he pulled up the blanket must’ve made Taeyong look away and pick up Johnny’s discarded shirt before he slipped it on.

They were supposed to be focused on getting food, but the image of Taeyong in—only—his t-shirt was making all the blood previously for his brain rush south.

Taeyong definitely caught the expression on Johnny’s face and he shook his head, “food first.”

An hour later, they were scarfing down takeout containers of lo mein, sweet and sour chicken and broccoli beef. 

Taeyong was still in his shirt, but he was wearing underwear with it, similar to Johnny, who was wearing one of Taeyong’s oversize hoodies and his own underwear. 

His interest in sex had waned considerably once he had a mouthful of noodles, but it didn’t stop his mind from pouring over every moment from the previous hours.

Questions of if he’d made weird faces or did something strange kept him from paying complete attention to the newest season of Bojack Horseman. 

Johnny’s attention was taken when hands threaded through his hair, nails lightly scratching at his scalp.

“Sometimes you get really deep in your head. I’ve noticed it a few times and I’m never sure how I should bring you out of it,” Taeyong commented when Johnny leaned into the touch. 

“This is fine,” and it was, because now Johnny was leaning on Taeyong and he had the strongest urge to purr like a cat.

Which he did, for jokes of course.

It didn’t make Taeyong stop scratching, but it did make him laugh and make the mood a bit lighter. Definitely a win-win situation.

“Not that I don’t love Johnny, but it feels kind of nice to have the apartment to ourselves,” Jongin announced as he starfished across the couch. 

They were both fresh from a shower and Taemin was in the kitchen warming up leftover curry from earlier in the week. 

“I guess, but I keep thinking about how horrible it must’ve been to be around us. The whole vibe in the apartment was fucked,” Taemin admitted.

Jongin sat straight up and stared into the kitchen with shocked eyes, “I didn’t even think about that. God, I hope he doesn’t hate us.” 

“I think it would take a lot more than that for Johnny to hate us.” Even if Taemin was right, Jongin still felt bad. 

“You don’t think he’s not here, because he’s avoiding us right?” That made Taemin look up from the microwave, an unsure expression on his face.

“Hm, you might have a valid point there.” 

“We should, uh, apologize when he gets back? Maybe smoke him out?” Jongin sighed, slumping back into the couch.

After that, the microwave dinged and they dropped the subject, putting some random Overwatch Let’s Play on TV as they snuggled close to each other.

Mark’s lips tingled with the kiss that Donghyuck had just planted on him and he was unsure if he wanted to move, lest this be all in his imagination. 

He must’ve not blinked for several moments because when he came to, Donghyuck looked startled and was waving a hand in front of his face.

“Dude, I swear you stopped breathing. Are you okay? Was that too much? I should’ve asked first, right?” The conversative portion of his brain wasn’t working at the moment, so he could only shake his head as he reached for the other man’s hand, squeezing it. 

Finally finding his words, he tried to will the blush from his face, “no, no, no, it was perfect. It was fine. I, uh, liked it. A lot.” 

Donghyuck’s face relaxed and he smiled. 

Mark got a streak of boldness and he stepped closer to Donghyuck. He still stumbled over his words, but eventually he got out a shaky, “would it be weird if I wanted another one?” 

More than happy to oblige, Donghyuck leaned in and their lips met again, though this time Mark was prepared and leaned into it a little more. 

It made Mark’s heart go wild in his chest as they made out in Donghyuck’s car and he could only think about if it was okay to put his hands on the other’s shoulders. 

Which, yes, yes it was. In fact, Donghyuck grinned into the kiss. 

When they pulled apart again, it felt like Donghyuck had taken Mark’s air with him.

“You’re really good at that.” The blush Mark had earlier was nothing compared to the one he was sporting now. He could feel the heat up his neck, in his ears and his entire face. 

“Th-thanks. You too.”

Mark wasn’t ready for such a perfect date to end, but nine o’clock was approaching rapidly and if he wanted to spare himself a lecture, it would be good to walk in the house at 8:59.

“I’ll see you next time,” Donghyuck spoke, his voice sounded weird. In the dim light cast by the radio, Mark could see that his face was also flushed.

It felt good to see Donghyuck flustered for once. 

As he climbed out the car, Donghyuck was slow to let go of his hand and Mark smiled. 

“Text me when you get home.” Donghyuck nodded and he waited until Mark opened the front door and stepped inside before he drove off.

The warm feeling stayed, even when Mark’s mother met him at the doorway to his room.

“You came in a bit early. I’m glad. Have a good night,” she sighed, eyeing him from head to toe before walking to her bedroom.

For a few moments, Mark stood frozen in the hallway, unsure of how to react to what’d just happened. 

She hadn’t yelled, guilt-tripped him or attempted to chastise him about being too much like Johnny. It almost seemed too good to be true.

To preserve what seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime situation, Mark hurried to shower then go to bed. Before he fell off to sleep, Donghyuck sent a message that he’d gotten back to his cousin’s house, as well as a few memes that made Mark smile.

9:45PM DuckHyuckie   
I had a lot of fun btw  
Not to be obnoxious, but can I call you my boyfriend now? 

9:48PM MarkLEEGEND   
Me too! :D   
Oh. Sure! Can I call you mine too? 

Even as Mark’s fingers typed and sent out the message, his heart pounded in his chest. While he hadn’t actually referred to Donghyuck as his boyfriend, his friends definitely had. So, things wouldn’t be so different. 

Just official. 

9:50 DuckHyuckie   
Ur so lame, oh my god x_x   
GN mark <3 

9:52 MarkLEEGEND  
Isn’t that why you like me?   
I heard my lameness qualifies as a superpower  
Also, night~ 

The last message Donghyuck sent him was a few lines filled with the sparkling pink heart and Mark ended up going to sleep with a smile on his face. 

Johnny wasn’t sure exactly how they managed to sleep in Taeyong’s bed, but when he woke up with a crook in his neck, he vowed to bring a neck pillow next sleepover.

“I know it’s a little cramped, but please remember I’m not exactly a giant like yourself,” Taeyong snickered, poking at Johnny’s legs from where he was laid across the bed. 

“I’m not a giant. Our family just has really weird height anomalies. Both of my parents are kind of small, then my granddad is almost 6’5” or at least he was before he started shrinking. I heard my mom’s aunt is like 6’2” or something. It’s crazy.” 

“So, I’m guessing Mark got his height from your parents?” Johnny shook his head and reached down to brush Taeyong’s hair from his eyes. 

“No, he’s pretty tall too. Definitely taller than dad, just not as tall as me. Also, you never told me. Do you have siblings?”

“An older sister. She’s married with two kids and they’re so freaking adorable.” Johnny grinned and he listened as Taeyong rambled on about his niece and nephew for several minutes. 

He only stopped when Johnny’s stomach let out a loud growl. 

“Maybe we should hit up a breakfast place? There’s this nice mom-and-pop place closer to campus and they give us a good student discount.” Johnny tried to apologize but Taeyong waved him and sat up.

He patted down his hair, slipped on a hoodie and grabbed his big jacket. 

“Leggo,” Johnny cheered, freezing a few seconds later when he realized how corny he’d just been. Instead of reacting, Taeyong just patted him on the shoulder and threw Johnny’s jacket at him before searching for his keys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I can't remember if I made this a note, but each chapter is named after a strain of weed.
> 
> Corny? Probably.


	7. Electric Purps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taemin and Jongin take an intoxicated adventure to Domino's and get to see their favorite delivery boy. Mark is almost at a breaking point and Donghyuck shows up to help him relieve a bit of stress. Johnny learns something new about Taeyong.

Without Johnny to be the one sensical person, Jongin and Taemin decided, three blunts in, that they would walk to Domino’s and order a pizza, pick up frozen yogurt, then go home.

It’d sounded like a good idea after they’d given each other mutual handjobs in the shower and after pulling on semi-acceptable clothing--both of them sporting hoodies for shirts, some variation of sweatpants and slippers--they set out on their adventure. 

The first obstacle they encountered was figuring out where the keys to lock the door were. After twenty minutes of looking, they found Taemin’s keys hanging on the key holder by the door.

Of course.

Even after months of not smoking together, they were back in sync and sharing a total of one brain cell when intoxicated and it felt good. 

So much so, that it sent Jongin into a fit of laughter that overcame Taemin as well and they had to stop walking to catch their breath while they wheezed. 

They probably looked like madmen, but considering how close they were to campus and the fact that it was a Saturday night, people ignored them. Even the campus police barely gave them a second glance.

By nothing short of a miracle, they made it to the strip mall where most of the eating places near the area were clustered together. At the end, maybe a hundred feet or so away, was Domino’s.

All they had to do was walk on the sidewalk, stay out the way of cars and make their way inside to progress their mission.

Only, Taemin got distracted by a hair shop and stared inside the bright window, staring down the elderly man that was getting a haircut inside. Even in his weed induced haze, Jongin could tell Taemin was unnerving the man because he kept avoiding looking at the window. The poor man didn’t seem to have a phone either, only the well-read magazine that he seemed to have already read through. 

He was tempted to stare for himself, because the man had a surprising head full of hair, even in his advanced age. It was admirable and Jongin hoped he would be as lucky when he reached such an age. 

If his father was anything to go by, he would be okay.

Taemin must’ve gotten tired of staring because he eventually walked away from the window, heading toward the pizza shop.

“I’ve been thinking about pepperoni since we almost fell down the stairs at home,” Jongin sighed, his smile widening the closer they got. By the time they were a few feet away, the smell of pizza lured them in like a lasso.

Thankfully, their favorite delivery boy was behind the counter, waiting for them.

“It’s been a while!”

Anyone who took longer than a glance at them could tell they were high as hell, but the smile on Yuta’s face never faltered.

He was a true professional, at least if Jongin was one to judge. 

“It has been, but we promise you’ll see us more now.” Taemin cooed, leaning on the counter. 

Once after a drunken night out, Taemin admitted that he found Smiley-Pizza-Delivery-Boy-Yuta adorable and drunk Jongin had threatened to push him into a nearby ditch out of jealousy. Now, something like that didn’t matter. 

Taemin could anyone was cute, as long as it was him--Jongin---he came back to. 

Yuta never stopped smiling and tilted his head to the side, “so what can I get you guys? Your usual large pepperoni with feta, hot wings, and breadsticks or are we trying something different today?” 

“Holy shit, he knows our order by heart,” Jongin whistled, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket. 

The other workers in the kitchen stopped to stare at him for a few moments, but eventually lost interest and went back to preparing the incoming orders. 

“Yes, my good, smiley man.” Taemin couldn’t contain the giggles and stretched out his arms in front of him, nearly face-planting on the counter.

Again, the other workers stared but said nothing. They’d probably seen their fair share of shit, so Jongin and Taemin weren’t anything to give more than a glance to. 

“Alright, you already know the total, but for business sake, I’ll tell you again,” Yuta listed off, telling them the price they’d heard so much, they could recite it in their sleep. 

Jongin reached in Taemin’s pants pocket and handed Yuta his credit card. 

It only took a few seconds to process, then Jongin dragged Taemin to the seating area in front of the counter. There was a large window, so those passing had the pleasure of watching Taemin non-so-graciously sit in Jongin’s lap.

“You know, usually it’s you that sits on me, but since we’re together now, I’m going to be so clingy with you. I hope you don’t get sick of me.” 

Had Jongin been sober, he would’ve given Taemin’s words more thought, but at that moment, he could only nod and wrap his arms around the other’s narrow waist and rest his head on his back.

It was like pulling off a bandaid. All Mark had to do was the initial pull, then the worst of it would be over.

Both of his parents were seated at the kitchen table, his mom eating and his father sipping at his black coffee. 

“So, um, mom, dad,” both adults looked up and made eye contact with him and Mark felt his throat tighten and the saliva in his mouth thicken, “I, uh, may have gotten a job. At least for a little while. This restaurant I went with friends was hiring and they said I was perfect.” 

As soon as he finished speaking, he flinched and prepared himself for his mother’s onslaught, but it never came. Instead, his dad nodded and sat down his mug. 

“A job would do you some good actually. Now that school is winding down, you’ll need something to teach you life skills for college.” Even if the approval was coming from his father, Mark’s eyes drifted over to his mother. 

Her face was carefully blank, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she kept eating. 

Usually, if his father was in favor of something, his mother never really bucked him. She just kept quiet and exercised her control over something else. 

Mark wasn’t sure where or how she would vent her obvious disapproval, but he hoped that the job would have him so busy that she would stay off his back.

It was kind of romantic how Taeyong kept shooting him glances from across the table and giving him small smiles. 

This was one hell of a morning after and Johnny was on cloud nine.

“You’re really cute when you eat because your cheeks puff up like a chipmunk,” Johnny found himself mentioning, not stressing about how weird it sounded.

He kept doing that as well, forgoing his usual self-filtering and intense self-examination.

It should’ve been a lot more mortifying for Taeyong to figure out exactly how lame and corny he was, but instead it just made the butterflies in his stomach flutter and swarm. 

Taeyong took the comment as a compliment and puffed his cheeks more, preening.

“So, after this are you gonna head home or…” 

He let the question hang and Johnny blinked several times before he shrugged.

“Do you want to keep hanging out?” What stupid question. It was obvious that Taeyong did.

Johnny cleared his throat and took a sip of water before he said, “hanging out sounds good. I just need to go get clothes from my place.” 

As an expert at concealing emotions, Johnny could tell Taeyong was playing cool and that he was thrilled at Johnny’s response.

“Your order’s ready,” Yuta’s voice called, luring Jongin from the nap he’d unexpectedly taken against Taemin’s back. He unwrapped his arms from Taemin’s waist and let the man stand up, then get their food.

“It’s nice to see you guys together, finally,” Yuta sighed as he handed the boxes of food. Taemin barely processed it and he stepped back in surprise.

So, even the smiley pizza boy had been cheering them on. Who knew?

Taemin didn’t mention Yuta’s words to Jongin, instead, he handed the boxes of wings and breadsticks to Jongin while he held the pizza box. Against his better judgment, he hooked his arm underneath Jongin’s armpit and they walked back to the apartment.

Of course, they forgot to get frozen yogurt and only realized it once they’d polished off the wings, breadsticks and half of the pizza.

“We can just order Insomnia, no big deal,” Taemin suggested after squishing Jongin’s face while he pouted.

That made Jongin happy and he leaned against Taemin’s shoulder while he stacked three pieces of pizza on top of each other, then ate it like a sandwich.

Just as they’d polished off the rest of the pizza, the door opened and Johnny and Taeyong walked in, holding hands.

Johnny gave them a glance, then a huge smile spread across his face. When Taeyong stepped from behind him, he too started smiling. 

Not that he wasn’t always already smiling.

“Finally!” Taeyong’s loud exclamation startled Jongin and he almost choked on his pizza, but he saved himself last minute by sitting up straight.

“Yeah,” Taemin started, but then stopped and gave Johnny a thorough look, “same to you too. 

Instead of being surprised, Johnny just blushed and hurried to his bedroom as Taeyong followed closely behind, giving a thumbs up. 

“I don’t get it. What did Johnny finally do?” 

“Think about Nini. He didn’t come home last night and his clothes are slightly different.” 

It took a few moments but the realization finally dawned on Jongin and he grinned, wiping the grease from his mouth with his hoodie sleeve. 

“Johnny got laid!”

From inside Johnny’s room, they could hear an embarrassed groan. 

While it was good news that Jongin and Taemin were on good terms, it was also hell, because now they were probably going to poke fun at him. Particularly, in front of Taeyong. 

It made him look for a change of clothes quicker and Taeyong stood to the corner of the room, watching him dig through his dresser, then his closet.

“What’s so bad about your friends knowing you got laid?” 

“They’re gonna talk about it at every moment and make jokes,” Johnny replied, his voice muffled by the clothes in front of his face.

“Well, I think it’s a valuable sacrifice, given that you’re gonna get laid again, probably multiple times if we have time.” That made Johnny turn his head.

Taeyong’s eyes were dark with lust, but there was still an innocent smile on his face. 

It made his heart go into double time and his entire body heat up. Just the thought of repeating what happened the previous night was enough to make him feel like the thermostat was set to 75 degrees. 

Even with his thoughts scattered, he managed to pick out a decent outfit and grabbed a small bag.

The blow-up happened when Mark forgot to take out the trash before walking to Jisung’s house. They’d been in the middle of playing Mario Kart when Mark’s phone started to play the Imperial March. 

His mother’s ringtone.

“Come home. I don’t care where you are.” Her voice was calm, but Mark knew better and he immediately turned to Jisung, his mood immediately tanked when the line went dead. 

Mark’s face must’ve gone pale because Jisung hurried to turn off the game and squeezed his shoulder.

“She’s literally…” Mark started, unsure of what to say. He never really spoke ill of his mother, but this particular time, he was ready to let loose. 

But he didn’t.

He just sighed and muttered to himself, “I can never fucking win.”

Mark chose to ignore Jisung raising an eyebrow, unused to him using profanity. Instead, he rose from his seat and put down the game controller. 

Jisung looked like he wanted to say something, but the words never came, so Mark started walking until he was out of the house and on his way to his own house.  
When his hand touched the doorknob, the door wrenched open to reveal his mother with her arms folded in front of her and aggravated expression on her face. 

“You know, I always had high hopes for you, considering what kind of person your brother is, but you continue to do irresponsible things like this. How many times have I told you to take out the trash before you go? Do I have to tattoo it on my forehead or something, so I don’t have to remind you again and again?” Her tirade went on for longer, but as Mark learned at an early age, for his own sake, it was better for him to tune her out.

At some point, she noticed his glazed over his expression and snapped her fingers in front of his face. 

“Just when I think I managed to raise a decent child, you do something stupid. Please, for the sake of our Lord, please tell me you understand why I scold you like this?” Mark blinked a few times and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it at the last moment.

It wouldn’t do him any good to talk back, so he lowered his gaze and nodded his head.

“Your father already took out the trash, but he shouldn’t have to do that. That’s your responsibility. How am I supposed to send you away to college, if you can’t even remember something so simple?” 

“I’m sorry.” 

If he had a dollar for every time he needlessly apologized, he’d have enough money to pay for his own apartment. At least for a few months. 

His mother narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, letting out a loud exhale. 

“We have bible study in a few hours, so I expect you to be ready to go. I’m finished, so you can go to your room.” Mark gave another nod and retreated to his bedroom, feeling the anger bubble up inside him like a can of soda dropped to the ground. 

He threw a pillow at the wall as soon as the door closed behind him. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t. Mark could only lay on his back and stare at the ceiling, recounting just how many days there were until he could move out of this house and never look back. 

As it turned out, Taeyong loved going to art museums, so that was his first suggestion after they both went back to Taeyong’s and showered.

“There’s a new Egyptian exhibit and I’ve been kind of itching to go see it. Is that okay with you?”

“Sounds fine. You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a mummy when I grew up. I think I took the wrong career path though.” Taeyong stared at him incredulously then burst into laughter.

It was getting easier and easier to be himself around Taeyong and a large part of his personality was corny jokes.

Which Taeyong seemed to love. 

It stirred up the butterflies in his stomach and he leaned over to kiss his boyfriend on the corner of his mouth. It made Taeyong stop laughing, but his smile never faltered as he pulled Johnny towards him for another kiss. This one square on the lips.

“You guys are so lovey-dovey, it’s disgusting,” Taeil commented in passing, rolling his eyes. He’d been watching TV in the living room and made no attempt to stop when Johnny and Taeyong settled on the loveseat. “Also, if you’re going to the museum, you might want to get there before all the good parking’s gone. It is the weekend.” 

Taeyong’s eyes went wide and he pulled Johnny with him when he stood up. 

“He’s right, fuck!” 

Which is how Johnny almost ended up with a speeding ticket because he’d run an ill-placed stop sign.

“What are the odds that I used to walk his dog?” Taeyong mussed from the passenger’s seat, his fingers pulling at the loose threads on his distressed jeans. The holes from the knees were already pretty large and Johnny couldn’t imagine them getting any bigger.

He could tell Taeyong felt bad, so Johnny did the only thing he could do. Crack jokes and make faces at Taeyong until he smiled again and reached for his hand over the console. 

“I hope there are mummies at this exhibit,” Johnny muttered, trying to sound as petulant as possible. In response, Taeyong tugged at Johnny’s face, pulling the flesh until Johnny let out a yelp and threatened to crash into a tree as he pulled into the museum parking lot.

As luck would have it, Johnny was able to pull right into a parking spot and Taeyong grabbed his hand as they walked to the entrance, bouncing the entire way with a grin on his face.

He thought that he would spend all his time staring at Taeyong, but when they stepped foot in the museum, Johnny was floored.

As Taeil had promised, there were quite a few people milling around, but it was pleasant. Low murmurs of families and couples bounced off the marble floors and walls and scattered as far as Johnny could see, there were comfortable looking benches. 

He hadn’t been to a museum since elementary school, but at that time, they’d gotten an app that one could download and enjoy a pre-recorded tour of the permanent pieces. There were also lengthy explanations of the pieces in several languages. 

“Is he also a student?” A petite woman asked, making Johnny jump softly. He had to look down to notice her, but Taeyong nodded and went about introducing them.

“Irene, this is Johnny. Johnny, this is Irene. She’s been here as long as I’ve been coming here,” Johnny reached out a hand and Irene took it, shaking it gently.

“Nice to see him not coming alone for a change.” That made Taeyong blush and he shot Johnny a few shy glances. Irene let out a laugh disguised as her clearing her throat and ushered them toward the ticketing booth. 

“I don’t know if Tae told you, but students get in free on the weekend, though between us, I let him in when he shows up during the week too. He’s just so damn cute,” with that, she winked at Johnny. 

In the span of maybe eight hours, Johnny felt like he’d learned more about Taeyong that he had in the past few weeks and it felt great. Like they were really together, something that he still couldn’t believe. 

“Do I seem less cool now that you know I’m kind of a history and art nerd?” Their hands were still joined as Taeyong showed Johnny all of his favorite exhibits.

“Not really. It makes me feel less dorky in comparison,” Johnny admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. It felt wrong to speak loudly in the museum.

“Hm, then it sounds like we match.”

“Yeah, I guess so, huh?”

Mark should’ve been sleeping because it was his first day of work in the morning, but the buzzing of his phone made him sit up. 

**10:15 DuckHyuckie  
Marrkkkk~  
Come outside >:)**

Surely Donghyuck wasn’t outside his house, waiting for him. 

Surely.

Mark’s phone vibrated with another message. 

**10:18 DuckHyuckie  
COME ON B4 UR NEIGHBORS CALL THE COPS ON ME**

**10:19 MarkLEEGEND  
I’m comin **

He took time to snicker to himself before he pulled on some sweats, then tiptoed out into the hallway.

His parents usually were out cold by 9:30, so he figured he was in the clear and headed downstairs. Mark’s heart was slamming in his ribcage, but he couldn’t stop smiling as he slipped into his shoes and opened the front door. 

Waiting in front with the car turned off, was Donghyuck still in his work uniform, apron and all. 

“You’re insane. My mom will gut me if she finds out I snuck out,” Mark started, a smile still on his face. 

“You graduate from high school in like a week. It’ll be weird if you _don’t_ rebel a little.” 

In any other circumstances, Donghyuck would be right, but he didn’t really know Mark’s parents. But, instead of telling Donghyuck he’d hang out with him later, Mark ignored the voices in his head telling him to go back inside and got inside of Donghyuck’s car.

In what Mark was quickly assuming was typical Donghyuck fashion, they ended up at the drive-in at Sonic, the only place open after 10:30 in town. 

“What spurred this surprise visit?” Mark asked after they’d ordered their food. At first, Donghyuck just smiled and shrugged, then he sat back in the driver’s seat.

“Just missed you is all. Plus, it thought you’d like to get away, even for just a little while.”

The words shouldn’t have made Mark’s heart race, but they did and he got nervous and looked out the window. 

There weren’t too many cars parked, but they were by no means, the only customers there. 

“You’re right,” Mark started, still looking out the window. It felt too overwhelming to face Donghyuck but he wanted to get something off his chest, “my mom blew up over me forgetting to take the trash and it’s just been getting me lately. The older I get, the more I understand why Johnny hates coming home.”

It was quiet in the car and when Mark finally turned to look at Donghyuck, he saw the other listening to him without so much as a smile. 

“Then I’m glad I could get you out today,” Donghyuck spoke slow and deliberate. His efforts made Mark’s entire body feel warm.

It was rare whenever Donghyuck wasn’t smiling, laughing or cracking jokes, so to see him be so serious let Mark know that he was really listening to him. 

It meant everything.

Something came over Mark and he reached for Donghyuck, pulling him in for a kiss that took the other’s breath away. They only pulled apart when they heard a knock on the window, coming from an employee with their order.

The girl, who looked vaguely familiar, blushed when Donghyuck rolled down the window, looking like he had _definitely_ been caught up in a make-out session. She quickly handed him the order and skated off, her face as red as the button pinned to her shirt advertising a new milkshake.

“That wasn’t awkward at all,” Mark commented as Donghyuck handed him his fries and strawberry shake. 

Instead of answering, Donghyuck just shrugged and let out a laugh. 

As they ate, Donghyuck rambled about things that didn’t matter, but it kept Mark’s mind off of having to sneak back into his own house.

“Before I drop you off, how about we go to the park around here?” Mark agreed and soon they were heading down a dimly lit street and parking right by the edge of a small lake surrounded by benches. 

Mark assumed that they were going to stay in the car, but when Donghyuck cut the engine and got out, he followed as well. 

They sat down on the bench a few feet from the car and Donghyuck watched some ducks splash in the pond before he started talking, “you know. If you’re having a hard time and need a break, you can call me. As long as I’m not at work, I’ll come.” 

Mark’s entire face heated up and he tried to think of things to say but came up short. Instead, he just settled on a quiet, “I will.”

Only after they’d sat in silence for several moments did Mark’s mind actually process the position they were in. Donghyuck was so close and they were alone in the park in the middle of the night.

“I know we’ve talked about it, but you’re definitely going to our school next semester?” Mark nodded with a smile.

“My friends kind of tease me and say that I got a head start because I already have ‘an instant boyfriend waiting’ for me,” Donghyuck grinned, obviously entertained, “stupid, I know.” 

“I can’t wait to meet these friends of yours. They sound funny.” Again, heat rose to Mark’s face.

The idea of introducing Donghyuck to his friends made everything feel so _real_ and his heart leaped in his chest.

Maybe there was something about the full moon that was hanging in the sky, but Mark leaned over and initiated another kiss, though this one didn’t catch Donghyuck by surprise. 

His hands framed Mark’s face and deepened the kiss, exploring the inside of Mark’s mouth with his tongue. 

Mark was unsure what to do with his hands, so at first, he balled them up in his lap, but at some point, the excited energy made him rest them, stiffly, on Donghyuck’s shoulders. 

When their tongues tangled, he might’ve pulled Donghyuck closer to him, but he didn’t even have time to be embarrassed. Instead, hands tangled into the back of his t-shirt and he may have let out a small moan. 

That made them break apart and Mark stared at Donghyuck. He was unsure if he should say something, push for another kiss or _something_ else, because there was an undercurrent of energy strumming underneath his skin.

He wanted more but he wasn’t sure how to ask for it. 

“We’re in public and you’re making sounds like that?” As if he wasn’t already pink, his face probably turned red. 

“Was it embarrassing? I’m so—” Donghyuck stopped him, shaking his head.

“No, it’s hot. I’m just joking,” he trailed off, a light blush dusting his own cheeks. 

Mark was getting to see all kinds of rare sights tonight.

“How about we,” Donghyuck cleared his throat and stood up, not so discreetly adjusting his pants, “get going. I have to get you home before your parents notice you’re gone.” Mark hated to agree with that, but it was very true. 

“Yeah.”

When Donghyuck’s back was turned, Mark made some adjustments to his own pants while he thought of things completely unrelated to the feeling of Donghyuck’s hands holding him or how soft his lips were.

He was only mildly successful.


	8. Super Silver Haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finals are a doozy, but Taeyong knows just how to motivate Johnny to study. Mark gets settled at his new job and Donghyuck springs a romantic picnic on him, but the night ends on a close call. Johnny and Taeyong get even with Taemin and Jongin. 
> 
> Jongin and Taemin also get to go on a summer vacation, courtesy of Jongin's parents. Johnny goes home for Mark's graduation and the brothers have a heart to heart.

Jongin watched as Taemin secured both tops of Elsa and Anna’s cages, having just dumped in a handful of crickets for each of the large spiders.

He wasn’t scared of the creatures per se, but Jongin definitely preferred them in their cages.

They were cuter that way.

“It’s kind of unfair how light your course load was this semester.” Taemin had taken yet another break from studying the political state of Zimbabwe to poke at Jongin’s side, making him look up from his screen.

“I took all the hard classes in my sophomore year. Remember when I never had time to smoke or go out? I got all the hard shit done earlier. I even had to get special permission for the counselor for a few of the classes.”

Taemin muttered something like ‘overachiever,’ and went back to studying his notes. Jongin’s attention went back to his phone and he scrolled aimlessly through his Instagram feed.

It was crunch time and finals week was in full force, so that meant Johnny spent less time smoking and goofing off with Taeyong and more time at the library. Currently, in front of him, there was an essay about the vast differences between those with ‘New Money’ and those with ‘Old Money’ in _The Great Gatsby_, that was begging for his attention.

Instead, he was watching Taeyong twist and flip a pen in his hand as he read over his pristinely written and highlighted Criminal Psychology notes. His— currently ash white—hair hung over his face like a curtain and Johnny had no idea how he could actually see through the fringe. 

Either way, it was equal parts hot and cute. 

“Instead of studying _me_, you should be finishing your essay. You still have two more and a research paper to finish in the next three days.” Johnny knew he was right, but that didn’t mean he had to like it, so he frowned and bumped their knees together before going back to the essay.

About fifteen minutes into polishing off the conclusion paragraph, Taeyong whispered into his ear and it made chills go down his back, “if you manage to finish everything on time, I promise we can use the new things I bought. Only if you finish though.” 

Johnny’s mind went to the black plastic bag Taeyong had come into his apartment a few days previously, refusing to let Johnny look in it with a dark blush on his face. 

Suddenly, it was like his fingers were flying across the keys and he finished the essay, started on his the other two for his Shakespear and Chaucer classes and typed out the introduction for his research paper. 

Sex was proving to be one hell of a motivator, not that Johnny was complaining. 

Mark leaned against the counter and eyed the door, wondering if the dinner rush was finally over. There were twenty minutes until he could go home and Donghyuck was supposed to pick him up, so for once, he was watching the clock.

“Is Donghyuck coming?” Ten asked, tilting his head and grinning. 

Just as Mark assumed, Ten was very kind, so they quickly became friends and Mark unconsciously found himself telling Ten about Donghyuck whenever he could.

“Am I that obvious?” 

“Hmm, kinda. It’s adorable though,” Ten hummed, resting his chin on his hands as he also leaned on the counter, “if it makes you feel better, I have a date tonight too.” 

Just as Mark was about to ask questions, Donghyuck walked through the door with a grin on his face.

“I hope that box is my pad thai because I’ve been thinking about it the whole ride here. Plus, this,” Donghyuck took a look at the dwindling customers, then wrapped his arm around Mark’s waist pulling him in for a quick kiss. 

Ten giggled as Mark flailed for a moment before he relaxed in the kiss, then pushed Donghyuck away with flushed cheeks.

“This is a place of business,” Mark muttered, though he was grinning the whole time he spoke.

None of the customers paid them any mind and Ten sighed before he pushed at Mark’s back, “you can go.”

He shot Ten a questioning glance and Ten pushed at his back a little harder. 

Mark didn’t need to be told twice and he moved quickly, hurrying to the back to get his phone and put up his name tag and order pad. 

When he reappeared, he gave Ten a thankful smile and put a white carryout container in Donghyuck’s hand with an amused, “as promised.” 

The newest season of Rick and Morty played on the TV as Taeyong took a hit off of Taemin’s bong, his eyes fluttering after his deep inhale. 

Warmth bloomed in his chest and he sat the piece down before cuddling back up to Johnny’s side. 

“You always look like it isn’t hitting you, but then you look at me and your eyes are crazy red. It’s never not surprising,” Taeyong drawled as he looked up at Johnny. 

Johnny shrugged in the embrace and grinned, “made me pretty good at hiding it from my parents.”

Maybe it was the weed, but the usual sting that resonated in his chest whenever he mentioned his parents, was absent.

Taeyong raised an eyebrow at Johnny’s casual mention of his parents not being accompanied by a negative and vague statement that he refused to elaborate on.

He had so many questions, but he could _feel_ the discomfort that washed over Johnny whenever he mentioned them in passing and Taeyong wasn’t the type to pry.

If Johnny wanted to share something with him, he would in his own time. That much Taeyong had learned prior to and during their relationship.

But right now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. Right now, he was just enjoying spending uninterrupted time with his boyfriend since Taemin and Jongin had retreated into Taemin’s room for a ‘nap.’

If Johnny could read thoughts, he would’ve agreed because he was loving the feeling of Taeyong cuddled into his chest. The fact that Taeyong was wearing shorts and a tank top sweetened the deal because Johnny could silently admire his tattoos, tracing them with soft fingers.

“If you keep going, we’re gonna fuck on this couch,” Taeyong warned, despite the fact that he still leaned into how Johnny’s fingers slipped in the large armholes of his shirt and circled his nipples. 

He widened his eyes in faux surprise then grinned, nuzzling his face in Taeyong’s neck and taking a deep inhale. 

“Maybe that’s what I want. Think of it as payback for Jongin and Taem for last week. I still have it burned into my how far Jongin had his legs bent back. Nightmare fuel.” Taeyong nodded in agreement, also being able to perfectly recall what they’d walked in on a few days ago. 

The light pinch Johnny gave to one of his nipples brought his mind back and he let out a quiet moan.

All jokes aside, if Johnny kept touching him like that, they really were going to have sex in the living room, Taemin and Jongin be damned.

After a few visits to the town, Donghyuck turned down small streets and took a scenic route to Mark’s house, wanting to spend as much time as he could. 

With school out and the exception of Mark’s job, his curfew had been extended to 10 PM.

His mother hadn’t been too keen on it, but since it was brought up by his father, she’d kept her thoughts to herself. 

Now with the clock reading that it was barely 9 o’clock, that meant Mark had almost a whole hour with Donghyuck. 

“So what’s it’s like being part of the working class these days? Did they work my Markie too hard?” Donghyuck reached over and squished Mark’s cheek as he steered with one hand. 

Instead of avoiding it, Mark let it happen with a grin on his face. 

“Nah, everyone is really nice and our customers are actually kind. Turns out not all customers are assholes,” Mark spoke, pointedly looking at Donghyuck. 

One of Donghyuck’s pastimes was complaining about the customers that came through his line. 

“It’s not my fault you don’t get entitled college students for customers. Once you deal with that, then come talk to me,” Donghyuck huffed with furrowed eyebrows. 

Mark nodded because maybe Donghyuck was right. He’d seen his fair share of spoiled college students throw fits at restaurants or coffee shops. 

“I will. So where are we going? You made a wrong turn like five minutes ago.” There was a mischievous grin on his face as he shrugged and Mark got the feeling he usually got around his boyfriend.

Apprehension and excitement. 

He just hoped Donghyuck would make sure he got home on time, because the last time they’d spent a little too long making out in his car, Mark made the mistake of walking in exactly one entire minute after his curfew. 

For that one minute, his mother felt it was appropriate to scream at him for almost an hour. She also made him call Ten and ask him to switch days with him, so he would be available to accompany his parents to church.

In her rant, his mother mentioned that he was ‘disrespecting his parents by not upholding their rules and that from missing two Sundays in a row, because of his job, he was straying further from the Word.’

The whole time, he’d been digging his nails into his palms, wondering when she would tire out and go to sleep, leaving him alone. 

For obvious reasons, he did not want to hear a repeat of that instance.

Just as he was about to make a joke about Donghyuck being a serial killer, they pulled up to a prepared picnic in the park.

Even from the car, he could make out the fake candles dotting the blanket, as well as things he assumed, were food. 

“So the reason you asked for the pad thai wasn’t because you were hungry?” Donghyuck let out a bark of laughter and turned to Mark in disbelief. 

“I’ve prepared a candlelit dinner date for my boyfriend in the park and the first question he asks is about having to bring something from work?” 

Mark blushed and he shook his head, a small smile on his face.

“No, no, no. I was just wondering. I like it. It’s sweet,” he spoke quickly, avoiding Donghyuck’s gaze because he knew his face was completely red. 

“Well if you like it, come on. We don’t have all night and I want to eat the pad thai while it’s still warm. It’s not like you brought it for nothing.” That made Mark laugh and he nodded, getting out the car and following Donghyuck to the blanket. 

The entire time, his blood was rushing in his ears as his heart pounded. 

Unlike what Johnny and Taeyong had assumed, Jongin and Taemin had gone to actually take a nap. 

Sleeping partially on top of Taemin had become Jongin’s favorite, so when he woke up like that, he couldn’t help but smile.

When he’d dragged Taemin into bed with him, the other had protested he wasn't sleepy, yet he was the one who was lightly snoring, his arms locked around Jongin’s waist.

It took some wrestling, but eventually, he was able to stumble to the bathroom to relieve himself then crawl back into his previous position. 

He would’ve gone back into the common area, but the suspicious heavy breathing and whining he heard, even from behind the closed door, warned him that he might not like what he saw.

Jongin wasn’t mad though. After all, Johnny and Taeyong had seen him and Taemin going at it and he’d been in a very _compromising_ position.

It was simply an eye for an eye. 

He just hoped they wouldn’t get anything on the couch.

He’d probably been staring off into the cages of the tarantulas for a few minutes before he noticed that Taemin had woken up and was just watching him, in silence. 

“Is it really only Johnny who thinks they’re scary?” He asked, his voice raspy from sleep. Jongin shrugged and kissed the tip of his nose.

“Welcome the world of the living, sleepyhead.” 

“Says the man who wanted to nap in the first place,” Taemin grumbled as he sat up, still holding on to Jongin.

He only untangled himself when he heard his stomach growl and felt how dry the inside of his mouth was. 

“M’gonna go get some snacks and water. Want anything?” 

Jongin had a split second to debate if he should tell Taemin that Johnny and Taeyong were fucking in the living room, but he decided not to.

It’d been Taemin’s idea that they fool around on the couch in the first place and even more so his idea to bend Jongin like a pretzel. He’d be okay. 

“Water please,” he said instead, grinning. Taemin gave a nod and stretched, then opened the door and walked out. 

From the sounds alone, he was halfway to the kitchen before he caught sight of what was happening on the couch—if the sounds were anything to judge by, Johnny was being ridden—and quietly squawked, hurrying to the kitchen to blindly grab his snacks and water before disappearing back into his room.

The couple didn’t seem to be perturbed by Taemin, because there was only a quiet protest on Taemin’s part. 

“Did you know Johnny and Yong were fucking in there?” Taemin asked, his eyes almost bulging out his head in shock.

Jongin didn’t answer and started cackling while pointing to Taemin’s face.

“You ass! You knew,” Taemin figured after a few moments. He threw his bag of hot Cheetos at Jongin and plopped down on the bed, aggressively opening his bottle of water. 

“God, I didn’t see much, but I still want to bleach my brain.” Jongin just drank his own bottle of water, stealing a handful of Cheetos when Taemin turned on the TV in his own room to combat the outside noise. 

Taeyong rose and fell in Johnny’s lap with a fervor that made his already weed-hazed mind cloud over even further.

There was a blanket sloppily wrapped around Taeyong’s waist to hide the fact that he was naked from the waist down, but with each movement, it slipped down and exposed more skin. 

Johnny’s mouth was clamped shut while Taeyong was gnawing at his bottom lip, trying not to moan too loud. If anyone saw them, it’d be obvious what was happening, but the thrill of being caught was doing a number on their stamina.

The excitement had Johnny feeling the tightness in his stomach coming to a head much earlier than usual and he kept shooting quick glances to Taemin’s closed door. Simultaneously praying it stayed close and somewhat hoping one of his roommates walked out was something he’d analyze and think about later.

For right now though, Taeyong yanked at his hair from the nape and pulled him into a kiss. 

All the stifling and restraining they’d been doing was all for naught when Taeyong moaned in his mouth. 

“To-touch me Jo-John,” Taeyong begged when they broke apart. He buried his face in Johnny’s neck and held on, rolling his hips forward and backward in a way that made sure Johnny was rubbing past his prostate. 

With sloppy hands, Johnny reached between them and stroked Taeyong in time with his gentle rocks.

His own orgasm was threatening to crash over him, so he pulled out all the stops and rubbed his thumb into the slit. 

It was a choice that earned him a muffled moan into his shoulder and he felt Taeyong shake and clench around him.

Between that and how nothing but Taeyong’s cologne filled his nose, Johnny was coming and his lips were slow as he mumbled out a warning.

With a final twist, Taeyong came first, shaking and moaning against him as white dirtied his black t-shirt. He couldn’t bring himself to mind the warm feeling of the fabric sticking to his stomach as his own orgasm came. His hips jerked once, then again as he came inside of Taeyong.

The blood rushing in Johnny’s ears calmed as his heart slowed and he admired how comfortable Taeyong was in his lap. It was so good, he could almost fall asleep in that position but he knew Taeyong’s knees and legs would probably fall asleep.

Plus, he did have roommates. It was one thing to see them fucking—if anyone had seen them—but it was another thing to see them taking a post-coitus nap, complete with Johnny’s come stained shirt.

“You know, we forgot to use a condom, so we’ll have to be careful about getting up,” Taeyong sighed, leaning up from Johnny’s neck.

There was a light pink blush on his cheeks and Johnny leaned forward, giving a peck to each cheek because, well, his boyfriend was really cute. 

“We can just use the blanket. I’ll throw it in my laundry,” Taeyong nodded and he tried to slowly climb from Johnny’s lap.

Luckily, no body fluids got on the couch and Taeyong clothed again his shorts—sans underwear—waddled to Johnny’s bathroom, the blush on his face darkening when he realized Johnny was watching him. 

It shouldn’t have been cute, but Johnny chuckled to himself and did his best to arrange the living room back the way it was before he followed behind Taeyong.

With the food finished and about twenty minutes left before Mark needed to be home, Donghyuck kept shooting Mark glances and twiddling his fingers.

“What?” Mark asked after the fifth or sixth look. 

“Can I kiss you?” The fake candles weren’t the brightest, but Mark could still make out how Donghyuck was fidgeting. It was cute but confusing.

They’d already kissed, so at this point, Donghyuck could kiss him whenever he wanted. 

Long as Mark’s parents weren’t around.

At first, he thought it was a joke, so Mark smirked and leaned closer to Donghyuck, “why? You feelin shy?” For a full effect, Mark leaned closer and placed a flat palm on Donghyuck’s chest.

The older man blinked a few times and opened his mouth like a dying fish before he grabbed Mark’s wrist, finally looking him in the eye. 

“Don’t play with me, Minhyung.” That made Mark blush.

The fact that Donghyuck had remembered his Korean name was one thing. The other thing was the fact that he was using it _now_. 

“Well, you don’t have to ask at this point,” Mark answered, his voice quiet. His heart was thumping and he didn’t know exactly what Donghyuck was planning to do to him, but he was excited to find out.

Donghyuck’s expression fell into something more serious and he pulled Mark toward him, right into a kiss.

It started off lazy, but when Mark fisted the front of Donghyuck’s shirt, it was less sweet and more teeth and tongues. 

At some point, Mark may have ended up on top of Donghyuck, moaning as the other’s hands rubbed and squeezed places they hadn’t before. 

They only pulled apart when a harsh light landed on them and an annoyed “you goddamn horny kids! Go home.” 

Standing over them was a member of the park security, who maintained her pissed expression as Mark and Donghyuck quickly cleaned up their picnic, then ran to Donghyuck’s car.

They were silent until Donghyuck pulled into the main street, then they broke into a laughter that didn’t stop until Donghyuck pulled in front of Mark’s house. 

“God…never a dull moment, Donghyuck,” Mark wheezed, his hand on the handle of the door. The moment he reached to pull it open, the lights of the living room clicked on and the door opened.

The smile that’d been on his face fell quickly and he gave Donghyuck a panicked look before he got out of the car in a rush. 

“Who is this?” His mother questioned, eyeing Donghyuck with suspicion.

In some sick way, Mark had been preparing for something like this, so he immediately launched into a story about him being a new friend and potential tutor. 

He’d practiced so many times, despite his heart racing and his tongue feeling heavy in his mouth, the words rolled out so naturally and he could see the suspicion lessen the more he spoke. 

When he finished, his mother crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave him a look before walking over to the driver’s side of the car. She made a motion, signaling for Donghyuck to roll down his window. 

“You’re the one that helped Mark do well in science? I would invite you in for tea, but it’s a bit late,” Donghyuck nodded and he put on an expression of faux disappointment. 

“I’m sorry we’re meeting like this. I happened to drop by Mark’s job and offered to take him home. I hope he’s not getting in too late,” just like Mark, the lie rolled off Donghyuck’s tongue so well, he was impressed. 

His mother seemed pleased as well. 

“Not at all. There's still about five minutes, so I’d say you made great time. I hope your punctuality rubs off on this one,” the woman huffed, a small smile on his face. 

The entire time their conversation took place, Mark stood, frozen, in place. Silently praying to a God he barely believed in for the exchange to be over.

The exchange continued for another minute, then Donghyuck mentioned that he needed to get home to rest for his own job. That seemed to please Mark’s mother even more and she sent him off with a rare smile.

Somehow, Mark managed to give a mechanical wave to Donghyuck, then when his mother turned to him, she patted him on the shoulder.

“Good to see not _all_ of your friends are useless.” At that, she walked into the house, Mark following very close behind her. 

“We won’t have sex in the living room anymore. You’ve made your point loud and clear,” Taemin announced suddenly over breakfast. Apparently a barista at the nearby Starbucks had a crush on Jongin and gave him a bag with extra food from the case, saying that he looked a bit hungry. 

It was flattering and it meant they could stave off grocery shopping for at least another day.

Jongin had been kind of miffed at the fact that they were ‘whoring him out for free food’ but he got over it when he bit into a lukewarm egg-white and spinach wrap.

Johnny and Taemin watched him eat in amusement as they drank their coffee.

“Fair enough. I never want to see how flexible Jongin is again.” 

“And I never want to see your boyfriend’s ass crack. We’ll call it even.” Taemin stuck out his hand when he finished speaking and Johnny gave him a hearty handshake. 

“So are you going back home for the summer or staying up here and working?” Jongin asked, finally swallowing all the food in his mouth.

“I’ll go visit home for a week, then come back and work. The lady at the usual place called me a few nights ago asking if I was coming to work full-time again. What about you two?” 

“My parents have actually been planning a huge trip to Hawaii and they’re letting me bring Taemin. We’ll be gone for like three weeks, but we’ll be back after that.” Johnny gave Jongin a nod and continued to sip his coffee, eyeing a chocolate muffin sticking out the bag.

After the previous night, Mark bristled whenever his mother inquired about Donghyuck. She even got his father interested in him as well. 

The thought of having to ask Donghyuck to sit in his house and deal with his parents made him want to jump into oncoming traffic. 

“Why don’t you ask Donghyuck to come here? You never bring friends over anymore,” Mark’s eyes widened before he could school his expression and he shook his head.

“I don’t want to bother you and dad with my friends. They’re really, uh, loud. You know how people my age get.” His mother gave a thoughtful nod and his father let out a snort. 

“Teenage boys do get a bit rambunctious.”

And just like that, the subject was closed, at least at that moment.

The first week of June came quickly and that meant that Johnny was coming home for his summer visit. For reasons that Mark couldn’t quite pin, he was excited. 

But then again, he always was. 

Johnny was his escape from their parents and when he’d moved out, everything had fallen on Mark. 

Even the things that had nothing to do with him and had everything to do with their parents’ resentment of Johnny’s life choices. 

Despite that, Mark was happy to be able to spend more time with Johnny. So much so, that in the days leading up to Johnny coming, Mark had been switching between texting Johnny and Donghyuck. 

According to Donghyuck, Johnny had made an appearance at his Starbucks and politely threatened him to not toy with Mark’s feelings. It hadn’t scared him in the least and Donghyuck had sworn that he’d laughed in Johnny’s face. 

Much to Jaehyun’s dismay and the displeasure of all the customers behind him. 

Johnny’s recount of the event was less eventful and he promised Mark that he hadn’t caused _too_ much of a scene. 

Dread sat in the pit of his stomach and curdled like week-old milk the closer he got to the house, but Johnny swallowed down the bile threatening to rise up his throat. 

So many shitty memories resurfaced when pulled up in front of the mailbox and he was so close to just turning around and leaving. 

He could just drive down for Mark’s graduation, then go back to his apartment and not have to subject himself to his parents, but that wasn’t what Mark wanted. 

Even if he didn’t say it aloud or in so many words.

After a quick pep talk, Johnny finally got out of his car and grabbed his bags, trudging up the driveway and to the front door.

He hadn’t even reached to knock when the door swung open and Mark launched himself at Johnny, nearly knocking him off balance.

It’d hardly more than a month or two since he’d last seen Mark, but he was glad to see him. When he finally let Johnny go, he reached to help him with his bags and pulled him into the house. 

“You didn’t tell us when you were coming, so mom and dad ran to the store.” Johnny knew he shouldn’t be relieved that they were gone, but he was and Mark noticed it as well, yet he didn’t say anything. 

Instead, he chose to fill up the silence with chatter about his graduation ceremony and details about Donghyuck he hadn’t shared yet with Johnny.

“Donghyuck showed me pictures of his twin sister and she’s so pretty.” The horrible feeling in his stomach subsided for a bit and Johnny actually managed a smile, patting his brother on the shoulder.

He’d missed Mark’s endless enthusiasm and hadn’t realized it until that moment. Johnny was never really the mushy type, so he kept it to himself and followed Mark down the long hallway to his room. 

Untouched and in the same condition he’d left it from his short Christmas visit, his room felt so foreign and almost like a semi-personal hotel room.

It didn’t feel like him and in some ways, it never was him. The bare dark blue walls and bookshelf filled with old textbooks and study aids, plus the trophies from his stints on the basketball and soccer teams in high school. 

All of these things reminded him of the person he pretended to be for so long and it felt strange to look at them again. 

Even in the months since he’d last been home, he felt like he’d changed as a person.

“You know, I know you come back for my sake,” Mark spoke, his voice quiet. It was just loud enough to get Johnny out his own mind and he turned to look at Mark. 

“That obvious huh?” Mark shook his head as he sat the bag in his hand on the bed.

“Sort of, but I get it. They make me want to smash my head against the pavement of the driveway. Mom almost caught me and Donghyuck kissing and I could’ve sworn my life flashed before my eyes,” Mark laughed it off, but Johnny could tell the fear was still there. 

He’d felt the same before he’d finally had enough. 

Living in the house with their parents was like a prison and they were kept under constant supervision.

“So you and Donghyuck are really serious?” Mark’s eyes got big again, though this time he was also blushing, “so I take that as a yes then?” 

Mark’s face turned pinker and he avoided Johnny’s eyes. 

“He’s my boyfriend. I’ve told you that,” he mumbled. Johnny just shook his head and took a seat on his old bed.

There was a part of him that wanted to dig deeper and ask real questions like if Mark was being safe, but he knew Mark would sooner run away than answer something so straightforward

So, he decided he’d save it for later, maybe when their parents went to sleep and he could sneak some beer in the house. Now that he knew Mark was accustomed to drinking with his friends, he didn’t feel so freaked out about giving him alcohol. 

“What about you and that guy? Are things going well?” In their text conversations, Johnny had only mentioned Taeyong a few times, so Mark didn’t know too much about the situation.

Earlier on, he felt like it was too much to share with his baby brother, but looking back, it seemed kind of dumb. Of course, he could share small details about his significant other with him.

“Yeah, Taeyong’s great. He had to go to work, but he wanted to come up with me. For support,” Johnny’s words trailed off. From the look on Mark’s face, Johnny could tell he was a bit relieved that Taeyong hadn’t come. 

How were they going to explain that to their parents? Especially considering that Johnny had never been the type to bring home friends. 

It’d be strange if he started now. 

After a few more moments of silence passed between the two of them, Mark’s phone rang from his room and he hurried to pick it up, recognizing Donghyuck’s ringtone.

Taemin gripped the handle of his suitcase and stood in the foyer of Jongin’s house, feeling uneasy. He’d been there so many times and stood in that exact place, but things were different now.

He and Jongin were together and suddenly seeing Jongin’s parents seemed foreboding. Even if Jongin had reassured him that his parents were aware of the change in their relationship. Jongin’s mom had even congratulated them, mentioning that she was glad he got his head out his ass.

But that didn’t stop Taemin from feeling all his nerves congregate in the pits of his stomach and start moshing. 

“If you throw up here, you’re going to clean it because you’re not a guest,” Jongin warned, eyeing Taemin before he rubbed soothing circles into his lower back, then pulled him into the kitchen.

To both of their surprise, there was a small cake—Italian Cream—and candles waiting for them.

“We weren’t sure how to appropriately celebrate you two getting together, so we just settled on getting your favorite cake. We’re so happy you boys have finally made it official.” Jongin clapped his hands together like a happy seal and hugged both of his parents before he urged Taemin to unfreeze from his spot in front of the table. 

“I didn’t expect this,” Taemin finally spoke, his throat feeling tight as he leaned forward and blew out the candles with Jongin. His heart was doing weird shit in his chest and he almost wished he could sneak out and smoke it away, but it seemed like it would be better if he stayed. 

“Now that we’ve settled that, we’re going to take a large Lyft to the airport in a bit. Our flight leaves at seven and we should be at the airport by three,” Jongin’s father announced, clapping his hands together. 

It felt too surreal, but at the same time, Taemin felt kind of stupid for worrying. Jongin’s parents’ reaction was very on-brand for them and he wondered how he could’ve forgotten.

“We’re going to eat dinner at the airport as well.” Jongin and Taemin nodded and Jongin scooted closer to him, squeezing him tight. 

His spine might’ve popped but he would worry about that later. 

At that moment, there was a cake calling his name. 

Dinner went just as Johnny had expected and he was politely and cordially drilled for answers about what he was doing and what he planned to do once he finished his final year of school. 

Find an internship, maybe pursue his Master’s.

Then there were questions about if he’d changed his beliefs and that if he wanted to repent, the church would welcome him back with open arms.

Johnny declined. 

Lastly, they inquired about his dating life. Was he _finally_ dating a nice girl? Had he outgrown his ‘loner’ tendencies?

Johnny said he would let them know if he found one and avoided the latter question. 

The entire time, Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat and wondered when it would be socially acceptable to get up and go to his room. The feeling of helplessness ate at him and he kept shooting Johnny worried glances, though his brother’s gaze was glued to the plate of spaghetti in front of him.

After what felt like _hours_ in hell, both of them were permitted to excuse themselves and Johnny didn’t say a word as he retreated to his room, then shut the door.

Mark must’ve stood in front of the door, debating if he should knock, for almost ten minutes before he went to his own room.

Not even the memes Donghyuck sent him could cheer him up and he ended up falling asleep like that, fully clothed and feeling miserable and guilty.

Following the first night, Johnny’s visit to his parents’ home didn’t get any better, but it also didn’t get worse.

Small wonders.

The night before Mark’s graduation, he finally succeeded in being able to get both himself and Mark out of the house after their parents went to bed.

After they pulled out the driveway and were down the street, Mark blinked slowly and sighed, “I’m so sorry. I know you only come back for me.” 

The words came out so heavy and Johnny felt his heartache for Mark, but he couldn’t think about how to appropriately reply, so the silence hung between them for a while.

Then, Johnny broke it.

“You don’t have to apologize. That may be true, but I also have to show my face so they’ll keep paying for my apartment and tuition,” he spoke, letting out a dry laugh. 

There wasn’t anything funny about his words, but Mark found himself smiling. 

“So, um, you didn’t happen to bring anything to smoke with you, right?” Mark peeked over to look at Johnny. The shocked look on his face was hilarious and Mark started laughing so hard, he began to snort. 

“You smoke?” Johnny got out, finally turning to stare at Mark when he reached a stoplight. 

“Yeah… I thought you figured that out during your disaster party over Spring Break.” Johnny gripped the steering wheel and thought back to the party. He’d been so worried about Mark being drunk, he hadn’t even thought about the fact that Taemin and Jongin had gotten him high as well. 

“I thought it was just alcohol...Was the party your first time?” Johnny spoke slowly, inwardly going crazy at the thought that his friends had been Mark’s introduction in smoking weed.

“God no. Chenle’s older cousin brought some stuff and got us all high when I was like sixteen.” That made Johnny’s eyes widen even more and he shook his head.

“You’re really something,” Johnny chuckled, turning the wheel as he pulled into one of his old haunts.

Small and long abandoned, the undisturbed strip mall still stood some ways behind his favorite 7/11.

For some reason or another, it felt good to see that everything there was still the same. 

The drooping ‘going out of business’ banner, the numerous decals still stuck to the inside of the window and peeling white paint on the sign above it, all remained.

“This place is kind of creepy,” Mark muttered, glancing around as a Walmart bag blew through the empty parking lot. Johnny, however, couldn’t agree.

“Not really. There’s not much here,” Johnny sighed, pulling into a parking spot and turning off the car’s engine. He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned, reaching past Mark to retrieve the metal Yugioh lunchbox.

A few joints he’d already rolled were packed away in a rosy pink baggie, courtesy of Taeyong. 

“You know, when you came for Spring break, I was scared you would tell mom and dad about me smoking.”

Mark’s lips were pressed in a thin line and he shook his head. 

“I wouldn’t do that. It was hard enough convincing them to let me visit you. It was ‘your brother is busy’ or ‘you’ll miss church and the pastor will be disappointed,’ for months.” “Johnny gave an affirming hum before he slipped the joint between his lips and lit it.

After taking a pull or two from it, he handed it to Mark and watched as he took a few hits of his own, coughing a little on a deeper pull.

“It’s good,” Mark rasped out, trying not to cough more and embarrass himself. 

“Glad you like it, Taemin got from this guy that lives on campus. By the way, I never got a chance to ask, but before your visit, did you know I was gay?”

The way Mark stared at him, his mouth slightly open, was a funny sight, but he didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

Well, more uncomfortable than he probably already was, weed aside. 

“I suspected it, especially when mom started coming on extra strong about my romantic interests after you left for school. It seemed like she was always trying to set me up with someone’s daughter, especially the girls at church,” Mark accepted the joint again, taking a drag before continuing, “I hope this isn’t too personal or whatever, but I like girls. I just also like guys too. Maybe more than I like girls.” 

This time it was Johnny’s turn to stare and a small grin pulled at the edges of his mouth. 

“Wow, this smoke sesh is turning into confession hour,” Mark sighed, visibly slumping in his seat when it hit him. He was a lightweight and he couldn’t bring himself to have shame in it anymore.

Taemin’s fingers pressed into the warm, golden skin on Jongin’s shoulder as the other pressed closer to him.

“This, ah,” Jongin tried to speak, also rolling his hips and slipping deeper into Taemin, “feels like a honeymoon.” 

“It does,” Taemin whispered back, wrapping one of his arms around Jongin’s neck. 

Their room was adjoined to Jongin’s parents' room, only separated by a door, so they had been trying to be mindful, but Jongin was making it difficult. 

It was like he couldn’t stop himself from gasping, moaning and whimpering. Usually, Taemin loved how expressive Jongin was in the bedroom, but in their current situation, it was getting hard to keep his hand over Jongin’s mouth.

Especially when Jongin prodded at his prostate, making his mind go blank and stars appear behind his eyelids.

They were moving at a pace that made the mattress wheeze quietly and Taemin moved his arm from Jongin’s neck to his ass. Grabbing the flesh that was there, he raised his hips and rolled against Jongin’s thrusts, goading him to come.

“Come on, Jongin, come,” Taemin continued to whisper. He had to press his hand harder against Jongin’s mouth when the other squeezed his eyes shut. 

He could _feel_ the vibrations of Jongin’s moans against his palm, as he pressed their foreheads together and shuddered on top of him. 

When Jongin reached a hand between them and gave him a few sloppy strokes, it was just enough stimulation for him to come.

With an elongated hiss of Jongin’s name, Taemin came between them and Jongin followed a few seconds later. His hips kept moving on their own until Jongin was finished and Taemin finally took his hand off Jongin’s mouth.

“If you would’ve kept your hand there any longer, I would’ve licked it,” Jongin commented as he rolled from on top of him. 

Taemin rolled his eyes and turned to get tissues from the nightstand, “well the joke’s on you because the last thing I touched was your dick.” 

Instead of looking disgusted like anyone else, Jongin just shrugged and gave him a lazy grin.

Basking in the light of the golden hour, Jongin looked perfect with his hair ruffled and his skin sporting red splotches where Taemin gripped him too hard. His perfection only increased when he tilted his head and jutted out his bottom lip.

“Why are you just staring at me? Was the sex that good?” It was stupid but it didn’t ruin the mood, so Taemin reached for and kissed Jongin, temporarily forgetting that they were sticky from rapidly drying come and sweat. 

“I love you, I always have.” 

The pride that filled Johnny when Mark walked across the stage to receive his diploma was unmatched and he was sure he stood up, clapped and cheered louder than his parents and family members.

“Such a supportive brother,” Donghyuck hooted, earning a dirty look from Dohee, his twin sister.

As Donghyuck had explained a few weeks earlier, a family member of his was also graduating from Mark’s school. So, he didn’t have to make up an excuse to be present.

Per tradition in his family, he was holding two bouquets of flowers, one for Mark and one for his cousin. 

He and Johnny had exchanged words when they recognized each other, but to avoid unnecessary questions from Johnny and Mark’s parents, they kept things short. 

Not short enough, however, to stop Johnny from giving Donghyuck another pseudo-threat about not treating Mark right. 

Like always, Donghyuck laughed it off and patted Johnny on the back before winking at him. 

“How nice is it that your tutor was able to be here? What a small world,” Johnny and Mark’s dad announced, a grin on his face. 

It was a good day, so even their mother was smiling and hadn’t yelled all day. 

Truly a rare sight. 

Johnny and Mark actually had an enjoyable time eating dinner with their parents at a local sushi restaurant. Since they were celebrating Mark, he had the luxury of picking where they ate and mysteriously, their mother couldn’t even find anything to complain about in terms of the service or the food.

Maybe because Johnny was paying more attention to Mark, but he kept casting a glance at the bouquet of flowers Donghyuck gave him and smiling like a kid in a candy store. 

It was really cute.

Taeyong was leaning on the counter with his chin resting on his palms when Johnny walked into the shop, his hat pulled down to cover his face.

It was obvious that Taeyong didn’t recognize him because he didn’t pay him any mind. He kept staring blankly at the TV that always seemed to be FX, showing whatever installment of Fast and Furious was new to cable. 

Johnny pitched down his voice and held up a marbled piece from the shelf, “um, excuse me. Can I get some help?” Taeyong blinked a few times and Johnny thought about how cute he looked, then he came from behind the counter. 

“Sure, what can I do for you, sir?” The smell of his sweet cologne wafted to Johnny’s nose and he almost ditched his stupid plan in favor of pulling his boyfriend into a hug. 

“Well, I was wondering, can I have your number?” Taeyong still hadn’t bothered to look up and see Johnny’s face, so he thought he’d continue to have a bit of fun.

Now, that made Taeyong look up and he squinted, “I apologize, but I have a boyfriend already. I’m flattered that you’d ask though.” Before Johnny could formulate his words to accompany his reveal, Taeyong tipped up the brim of his hat with a huge grin on his face.

“You’re so corny,” he giggled, moving closer to Johnny until all Johnny could smell was his cologne. He cast a glance at the CCTV by the counter before he pulled Johnny behind a taller shelf and kissed him. 

“Hmm, missed you and that,” Johnny replied, licking his lips. 

Taeyong must’ve finally gotten another tube of his cherry chapstick because the taste of cherries flooded Johnny’s taste buds. 

“If I told you how much I missed you, you’d think I was insane,” Johnny shook his head and pulled Taeyong closer to him. “I could never, because I probably felt the same. Especially seeing my brother being lovey-dovey with Donghyuck.” 

Taeyong started to laugh, but his face froze when he heard the bell on the door, announcing that another customer had come in. He quickly pushed Johnny away and offered his assistance to the confused girl that stumbled in. 

As he watched Taeyong work, Johnny crossed his arms and leaned on the wall. 

Apparently, she’d been in desperate need of a grinder and once she settled on a hot pink tin one, she was out the door as quickly as she’d come. 

“It’s almost your lunch, right? Let’s go to get some Cane’s,” Taeyong looked at the clock on the wall and nodded, still smiling.

“You can go now. Considering you’re in my shop making out with your boyfriend. See you in an hour,” Taeyong’s uncle announced, coming out the back office.

Johnny bowed to him and the man waved him off, a smirk on his face. 

“You really do like them tall, don’t you?” That made Taeyong blush and he pulled Johnny’s hand, trying to hurry him out of the store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taeyong's uncle is Heechul and he owns the Ra Shop where he works. That's the reason why his work schedule is so lax.
> 
> Okay, so I thought I would be able to finish this story in eight chapters, but as you can see, I've added another. This chapter was already over 25 pages in Google Docs >.> 
> 
> The last chapter will be the ending and we'll be tying loose ends for all our boys ^^


	9. Bloom Kush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark moves in with the boys and feeling a new sense of freedom, attempts to push himself into something he's not quite ready for. Donghyuck, as it turns out, is very understanding. Things happen in their own time.
> 
> Johnny is nervous about partying with Taeyong's friends, but things turn out fine. He also learns the reason behind Taeyong 'liking them tall.' Taeyong finds out that Johnny isn't necessarily as confident as he appears. 
> 
> Jongin finds out that maybe some of his past hookups come with strings he wasn't even aware of. Both he and Taemin also find out one of their favorite people think they're cute.
> 
> The boys have their first house party of the year.

No one was more pleased to see that Jongin and Taemin had made up than Professor Kwon. They had, after all, sat down and talked things out due to her strong encouragement, so it made sense. 

Just as Jongin and Taemin were deciding if they would stay in town for the summer or go back home, both of them received emails from Professor Kwon, inviting them to teach ballet and jazz at a nearby dance camp. 

“It’s better than sitting at home and sticking my nose in Taesun’s business,” Taemin suggested, nudging Jongin in the side. 

“Is it paid?” Taemin scrolled further down and nodded. 

“Yup. Fairly well at that, plus it’ll look good on our resumes.” Jongin hummed in agreement and he nodded, stretching out his legs in front of him.

“Fine. Tell her we’re here guys.” Taemin’s fingers slipped across his screen quickly and before the backlight of his phone went black, there was a positive response, as well as more information about their classes and students.

“I can’t imagine Jongin as anyone’s teacher,” Johnny mentioned, reminding Jongin and Taemin that they weren’t alone in the living room. 

“Diddo to you being someone’s English teacher. Those kids are gonna walk all over you,” Jongin countered back, poking his bottom lip out in a pout. 

The words rolled off Johnny and he laughed, settling back into his seat, “to get me used to it, you all should call me Mr. Lee.” Jongin’s pout immediately morphed into an incredulous expression, while Taemin simply threw the veggie straw that he’d picked up earlier in Johnny’s general direction.

It hit him square in the forehead and with a show of reflexes, Johnny leaned forward and caught it in his mouth. Even if they were both slightly disgusted at Johnny, Taemin and Jongin started laughing when Johnny clapped his hands like a seal.

“Give me another snack!”

“Remind me again why Taeyong likes you?” Jongin wheezed.

“Because I’m kind of hot and a good lay?” Jongin’s laughter turned into slight choking noises until Taemin slammed his hand down on his back. 

“Who are you and what have you done with our sexually and socially awkward Johnny?”

“He’s dead. I’m here now.” Johnny answered back, pitching his voice to sound demon-like, which started another round of giggles. 

Later after the roommates had finished off two bowls, Johnny held his phone in his hand and made stupid faces, immediately sending the results to Taeyong.

Things must’ve been busy at work, because the only text message he had got was one from Mark, reminding him to ask Jongin and Taemin something.

Something important. 

Whatever shit they’d smoked had Johnny in a space he usually wasn’t and he had to ponder for several minutes what the fuck Mark was asking about.

“Oh!” 

His sudden exclamation made Jongin jump and he chuckled before he leaned forward.

“Hey guys. You know how you’re basically sleeping and living in the same room now? Would it be okay if Mark stayed in Jongin’s old room?” 

“Why’d you wait to ask us when we’re high dude?” Taemin asked, squinting with red eyes.

If things were hitting Johnny harder than usual, then Taemin and Jongin were probably on another plane of existence. 

“It wasn’t on purpose. I swear! He sent me a message and I just read it.” Taemin gave it some thought while he blinked a few times. 

“I mean, sure, why not? He’s a good kid.” Jongin answered for him, finally breaking out the blank stare he’d been giving the TV for the past twenty minutes.

Taemin stopped mid-blink and turned his head toward Jongin, “who says I want to look at your face every morning until we move out?”

Oddly profound and completely out of place, Jongin leaned to press his fingertips into Taemin’s t-shirt, “your heart does. I can always hear it.” 

Taemin’s eyes shot open and he stared in shock, his tongue and mouth too heavy to process everything that was going on in his mind.

“You look like one of those lizards with the bugged eyes we saw the zoo in middle school,” Jongin mumbled, curling his body closer to Taemin.

Whether Taemin processed everything that’d just happened, only became clear when he just uttered a perfectly articulated, “sure. That won’t be a problem.” 

Saturdays had been designated date-days, according to Taeyong, since their first venture to the museum. On that particular Saturday, the couple was invited to one of Taeyong’s friends’ birthday parties. 

“You look fine, John,” Taeyong huffed, reaching up to toy with a few strands of Johnny’s hair, something he knew would make Johnny relax a little bit. 

“But you said the dress code was semi-formal, so I want to look nice and impress them. The last time they saw me, we were both almost blackout drunk and I vomited in someone’s bathroom,” Johnny rambled. 

He knew he looked well put together because he picked out his outfit almost three days ago, Johnny just couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to be impressive.

“Look at me,” Taeyong commanded, taking Johnny’s face between his small hands, “you don’t have to impress anyone, not even me. We’re just gonna go and be ourselves and have a good time. And definitely not get blackout drunk again, though the way you tried to proposition me as we slept on Kun’s futon was hot.” Now instead of nerves, Johnny felt flustered and Taeyong knew immediately when the skin underneath his hands heated up.

It made the shorter man smile and he leaned up to give Johnny a peck on the lips, “no use in feeling shy now. Drunk you is fun and I can’t wait to play with him all Summer long.” With another kiss, Taeyong licked then bit his bottom lip, giving Johnny a sultry look. 

“Well if you keep making faces like that at me, we can just stay home and be a party of two,” Johnny mentioned, reaching for Taeyong, but missing when the other turned away with a laugh.

“That might’ve worked before, but my friends are complaining they don’t see me these days,” Taeyong said with a sigh.

“Fine.” Just to be childish, Johnny pouted and sat on the edge of Taeyong’s bed with his arms folded in front of his chest.

Taeyong’s attention was now focused on fooling with his own—icy blonde—hair. At some point during Johnny’s act, Taeyong caught sight of him in his vanity’s mirror and turned, putting his hands on his hips before he walked back over to Johnny.

He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and tutted softly.

“You’ll live babe.” 

As usual, nothing was as Johnny had expected and Taeyong’s friends seemed genuinely happy to see him. 

“The great dragon hasn’t forgotten about us,” a voice slurred a few seconds after they walked through the door. Soon after, a thin man slumped onto Taeyong and made him lean more on Johnny. 

“This is Jungwoo. He’s the birthday boy,” Taeyong explained quickly before he ushered the other off to a couch with the promise to get him some water, “it’s his 21st, so he’s going hard.” Johnny cast a glance at the boy arranged on the partially occupied couch like a ragdoll. 

He’d been equally a mess on his 21st, so he wasn’t in any place to judge. Instead, he made drinks from himself and Taeyong, then waited by the entrance of the kitchen while Taeyong coaxed Jungwoo into taking sips of water. 

“He downed five vodka shots when we turned our backs,” a voice supplied, making Johnny turn to find the source. Standing on the opposite side of the entry to the kitchen was Jaehyun, someone who’d he’d met a few times before.

“Oh, he’s gonna throw up soon then,” Jaehyun hummed in agreement and he joined in watching as Taeyong succeeded in making Jungwoo finish the cup of water.

“We’ll keep an eye on him. Doyoung’s already on bucket and mop duty anyway,” Jaehyun cocked his head toward another familiar person sitting at the kitchen table, playing a drunken game of UNO. Every so often, he would turn and crane his neck, checking on Jungwoo. 

When Taeyong got Jungwoo propped up and left him with another cup of water, he finally returned to Johnny’s side and took a big gulp of his drink. 

“Has anyone ever told you, you’re kind of like the mom of your friend group?” Taeyong’s eyes crinkled as he laughed into his cup and shook his head.

“Many many many times. I don’t mind, because someone has to take care of these idiots.” That made Jaehyun look taken aback and Taeyong snorted.

“Don’t think I forgot about when you had that bad trip and climbed on the roof of the dorms freshman year,” Jaehyun huffed and his face flushed. 

“You promised you wouldn’t bring that up again.” Taeyong shrugged and hooked arms with Johnny, pulling him further into the party. 

The air was smokey from cigarettes and weed, but Johnny didn’t mind as Taeyong led him to what was supposed to be the dancing area. The music was a louder and drunken bodies moved together with little regard to the beat of the current song. 

“We’ve been together for almost four months and I haven’t danced with you,” Taeyong mentioned, pulling at the neckline of his shirt so he would lean down. 

It was true and something that Johnny was relieved about. 

He couldn’t dance. 

Instead of telling Taeyong that, Johnny tried his best and gyrated to the music. He also chugged the rest of his drink, hoping the liquid courage would magically grant him the gift of rhythm. 

Chenle, Jaemin, Jeno, Jisung, and Mark squished onto the couch in Jisung’s basement with huffs and complaints until everyone was comfortable. 

“I can’t believe this is the last time we’re hanging out before you all go off to school,” Jisung spoke first, eyeing his friends. 

The words sounded weird coming out his mouth because Jisung was rarely sentimental, but it must’ve been sinking in that come the Fall, he would be going back to school without the rest of them. 

Mark could’ve sworn he saw the younger’s blink hard—something he did when he was hiding how upset he was—but he didn’t mention it. 

Instead, he reached over Chenle and Jeno to poke Jisung in the stomach, “hey, don’t get sappy on us and turn on the TV. I wanna cream you in Smash one more time.”

That made Jisung smile and a competitive expression spread across his face. 

“You _wish_ you could beat me!” With a struggle, Jisung got up from the couch and retrieved the controllers and threw them at the boys on the couch, “everyone can have a serving of whoop-ass because it’s on the house tonight!” 

Johnny leaned against the doorframe of the newly-emptied bedroom, watching as Mark opened various boxes. 

“And you’re sure you want to live with your brother and not in the dorms?” Their mother had asked, staring intently at Mark from across the table. 

Her expression spoke volumes about how much she disapproved of the idea. In her eyes, Johnny was corruptive to Mark and she wanted to limit their exposure to each other. 

Though now that they were going to the same school, she was fighting a losing battle.

He nodded silently and took a deep breath, “yes. I’ve thought about it a lot and it will save you guys money. Plus there’s an extra room opening up and Johnny will help me adjust to the college life.” 

Their mother’s eyebrows furrowed, but Johnny could tell she couldn’t think of a reason to reject his decision. It _would_ be cheaper than getting a dorm, plus a meal plan. Their father, on the other hand, looked pleased.

“Well, maybe you can shape that brother of yours into someone who’s more decisive now that he has to take you under his wing,” Johnny’s jaw clenched, but he remained silent.

With Jongin and Taemin deciding to just use one room instead of two, that’d opened a vacant spot in the apartment. Johnny had only known about it for a few hours before Mark called him and begged to let him move in, all thanks to a certain nosy neighbor and annoyance-in-law, Donghyuck. 

Johnny had never been good at telling Mark no, so the only obstacle they had to deal with, was their parents. They—obviously—left out the part about Jongin and Taemin shacking up, but went ahead and asked.

With no further obstacles, it became a reality a few weeks later and Johnny, Taeyong, Taemin, Jongin, and Donghyuck helped Mark move into the extra room a week before classes started.

“Look at us. Who would’ve thought?” Donghyuck quoted, wrapping his arms around Mark’s waist when they finally finished unpacking. At first, Mark laughed and shoved at Donghyuck’s chest, his gaze falling on the other people in the bedroom. 

The first person to leave the room, with a blank look on their face, was Johnny, followed closely by Taeyong.

Mark might’ve legally been an adult, but he was still Johnny’s little brother. 

“How about we leave these two alone?” Jongin announced, ushering Taemin out the bedroom and closing the door behind him. 

“Now am I allowed to kiss my boyfriend?” Donghyuck asked with a disgustingly cute expression on his face. Mark’s first response was to immediately roll his eyes and then he let himself be pulled back towards Donghyuck. 

It was probably the 1000th kiss Donghyuck was giving him, but it felt different. They weren’t in a car or at the park in almost pitch darkness. 

They were in the middle of Mark’s room in his apartment, in broad daylight and Mark didn’t have to worry about a curfew or about his mother catching them. The tension rolled off his shoulders and he went slack in Donghyuck’s arms, leaning further into the kiss.

When they pulled apart Donghyuck, still kept his arms wound around his waist, “you still coming over later?” 

“Yeah, wouldn’t miss it,” Mark answered, placing a kiss on the tip of Donghyuck’s nose. 

They were going to have a movie night later on and Mark had been looking forward to it all week, even more than moving into his apartment. 

Donghyuck’s roommate, Lucas, was going on some type of trip with his boyfriend, so he would be out.

It’d just be the two of them. 

In no rush. 

“You don’t think they’re gonna be like little rabbits right?” Taemin asked, standing in front of the mirror in their bedroom. Jongin barely looked up from his phone and shrugged.

“Mark has more nervous energy than Johnny, so we’ll have to see. I think he might be as kinky as Johnny though, he just doesn't know it yet.” Taemin shivered and he stuck out his tongue.

“I don’t want to _see_ anything.” That made Jongin chuckle and he slipped off the edge of the bed, coming to stand behind Taemin and bury his face in Taemin’s neck. 

“That aside, can you believe we’re going to be seniors? We have to start preparing our performances.” His words were muffled but Taemin understood him clearly.

“I really can’t. Especially, when I think about how you’ve been here with me this whole time.” Jongin squeezed Taemin tighter and Taemin grinned. He tapped Jongin’s arms and the other man released him, “now come on and let’s go to Baekhyun’s. He’s probably five seconds from triple texting you.” 

As predicted, Jongin’s phone vibrated with several messages from Baekhyun, demanding that they get their asses moving.

“Something’s been on mind,” Johnny mentioned, watching as Taeyong polished off the rest of the ramen in front of him and tilted his head in question as he chewed, “what did your uncle mean when he mentioned you ‘liked them tall?’” 

That made Taeyong stop chewing and he looked down at the table, an amused expression on his face. 

“So you still remember that?” Johnny nodded, “well, my first boyfriend was 6’5”. I don’t think I’ve ever dated anyone under six feet tall actually.”

“You got a fetish then?” Taeyong blushed and covered his mouth with his hand. 

The lack of an answer made Johnny grin and he shook his head, “I don’t care if you do, by the way. It’s really fine.” 

The hand fell and Taeyong grinned, his eyes doing that sparkling thing that made Johnny’s heart slam in his ribcage and he had to look away. 

“I can’t believe you picked _Shrek_. What made you think of _this_ movie?” Donghyuck asked, narrowing his eyes as Mark pressed play on the movie. 

“Ten would always talk about it and it’s been a while since I watched it. Plus, you said I could pick,” Mark sighed, scooting closer to Donghyuck as the movie started. 

As promised, Lucas was long gone and wasn’t supposed to be back until at least Wednesday, so he and Donghyuck were truly alone. 

When Mark had left the apartment, there’d been no one home and the feeling of locking up behind himself sparked a strange sense of giddy in him. 

He was locking the door to _his_ apartment so that he could go see _his_ boyfriend without thinking about rushing home to make curfew. 

His time was his own now and he loved it.

With the movie finished and Mark’s face a little sore from laughing so much—both at the movie and Donghyuck’s reaction to the movie—Netflix suggested another movie for them to watch. 

The thing was, Mark didn’t want to watch another movie and when Donghyuck stretched his arms and took a look at Mark’s expression, he sat up a little straighter.

He’d realized as well.

“So, um, should we do something else?” Donghyuck asked, his voice higher than usual. Mark would’ve laughed had the mood not been so heavy between them.

Using all the excitement and anxiety that had been fluttering in his stomach since earlier, Mark leaned forward and pressed his lips to Donghyuck’s. 

It caught him by surprise, but eventually, he wrapped his arms around Mark’s waist, pulling him into his lap. 

Mark’s mind was racing a million miles a minute, but he straddled Donghyuck and surged forward, cradling either side of Donghyuck’s jaw as he deepened the kiss. 

It was nothing that they hadn’t done before, but the fact that they had all the time in the world was going to Mark’s head and made him adventurous.

When Donghyuck pulled away, there was a serious look in his eyes and his grip on Mark’s waist tightened.

Silently, he was asking so many questions and Mark wanted to answer them all, but he wasn’t sure exactly where to start. So, he started with a simple question. 

“Ca—Can we go to your room?” It took a lot to get the words out and Mark could feel his face heating up, but he pushed through. 

This was happening tonight.

Baekhyun hadn’t expressed that the thing at his house was a huge party, so Jongin wasn’t sure why he was surprised at the lack of chaos when he and Taemin got there. 

“It’s kind of a kick-back,” Baekhyun explained, immediately taking in Jongin’s expression. 

Familiar people were scattered on the couches, the love seat and the floor in front of the TV in the middle of the living room. 

Most of them were happy to see them, but a few were apprehensive, particularly Sehun and Chanyeol. 

From the conversations they’d had, Jongin knew that Sehun was Chanyeol’s roommate and one of his best friends. That meant that when he’d pulled the shit in the Spring, Chanyeol probably told him about it. 

While Chanyeol had assured Jongin that there were no hard feelings between them after their hookup, he hadn’t even given thought to how Sehun might see him. 

It was obviously not positive as he was forced to shuffle over to make room for him and Taemin on the sectional couch, but he seemed to be holding back his words for the sake of not ruining the vibe of the party. 

Which worked, until he started drinking more and shooting angry glances toward Jongin.

The first person who noticed was Jongdae and when Baekhyun suggested they go out the porch to smoke, Jongin and Taemin stayed back, choosing instead to continue socializing with the non-smokers. 

“Why does Sehun keep looking like he wants to kill you?” Jongdae asked from his spot on the floor. 

After he and Baekhyun worked on a project together their sophomore year, he kinda got absorbed into their little group and had been there since. Jongin, however, hadn’t ever had a reason to hang out with him one-on-one. 

“I had a very brief thing with Chanyeol,” Jongin spoke, probably more curt than he needed to. 

Jongdae hadn’t done anything, but the fact that other people were noticing Sehun’s disdain for him was making him annoyed.

“Ooh, I see. Before you and Taemin got together, I assume.” Jongin nodded and Jongdae pursed his lips into a thoughtful expression. 

It looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but he seemed to think against it and changed the subject. 

For that, Jongin was thankful, because soon after, everyone came back inside from smoking and sat back in their spots. 

Immediately, he could tell that Sehun’s attitude was better than when he’d left, but he hadn’t wanted to test the waters and convinced Taemin to join him on the floor.

They continued their conversation with Jongdae, only ceasing when Chanyeol said that they’d been talking about playing a drinking game. 

“That sounds good,” Taemin responded immediately, leaning on the small coffee table to get a refill of the mystery juice Baekhyun had given him. He took the opportunity to pour Jongin a cup and pushed it into his hand, hoping the conspicuous amounts of alcohol would ease some of his discomfort.

After all, just about everyone, sans maybe Sehun and Jongdae, were Jongin’s friends. He should be having a good time and Taemin wasn’t about to let Sehun’s attitude mess that up for Jongin. 

Mark’s back hit the bed and Donghyuck stared down at him, a curious expression on his face.

“What’s with the change in attitude? Did you change your mind?” Mark debated chickening out, but the pangs in the dredges of his stomach yelled at him, telling him to keep going.

He wanted to keep going. 

It was just the fact that Donghyuck was on top of him, looking like he wanted to _eat_ him and all that confidence was turning into nerves. 

The same nerves that seemed to flip a switch on his fight-or-flight instincts. 

“We don’t have to do this.” And as much as Mark wanted to keep going, Donghyuck was giving him an out and there was this inkling in the back of his mind. A thought that maybe, because he was so nervous, he would mess everything up and make things weird between him and Donghyuck.

So, maybe it was better to stop.

The headstrong and horny part of him roared in disgust as he made up his mind and nodded, gnawing his bottom lip.

As much as he wanted it to be the right time, it wasn’t because he couldn’t get out of his head and it was grating on his excitement and arousal at an alarming rate.

“Alright, let me just,” Donghyuck mumbled, more to himself than to Mark, as he got off of Mark and stood in the middle of his room, “give me five minutes and we can watch some more movies, then call it a night.” 

Mark felt bad. 

No, he felt terrible and guilty and annoying. Even when he knew he shouldn’t. 

Still, the feeling didn’t go away, even when Donghyuck convinced him to come out of the room and watch the next three Shrek movies non-stop. 

When Mark finally fell asleep, he dreamed of being home again, yet when he tried to leave his bedroom, the door was locked from the outside. 

“I know this is kind of a relationship no-no, but what were your ex’s like?”

They were walking back to Taeyong’s apartment and curiosity was getting the better of Johnny.

“Um, well my first boyfriend was in high school. He was a senior and I was a sophomore. He was, oddly enough, in the choir. Had a voice like an angel. His name was Changmin,” Taeyong started. He paused to gauge Johnny’s reaction—which was neutral—and continued, “he was 6’4.” 

“Why didn’t it work out?” 

“The same reason why high school romances don’t. He was going to college and he wanted to continue dating, but I kind of broke up with him. I didn’t want to tie him down like that.” Johnny’s eyes widened and he gave a thoughtful nod. “What about you?”

For some reason, Johnny hadn’t expected Taeyong to turn the question back on him, but it wasn’t that much of a big deal.

“There were two. The first one was a secret because of my parents and the other was just kind of me,” there was an awkward silence as Johnny thought about the right words, “finding myself? Donghae was nice, but he was a lot more into smoking weed than I was at the time. He’s the reason why I know so much. Plus, he was getting ready to graduate, so we were in different places? I think he has some kind of office job now.”

Taeyong looked down at where their hands were joined with a small smile on his face, “you know, I kind of imagined you’d be more experienced at dating. You’re so sure of yourself and what you want.” 

That made Johnny snort.

“Sure of myself? It took me _months_ to finally talk to you and when we first started dating, I was worried I was too fucked up to date someone like you. I’m a mess, but it’s kind of nice to hear that I don’t look as bad as I feel sometimes.”

Johnny was just talking and only belatedly did he realize that he’d revealed something deeply personal. 

Taeyong stopped walking and Johnny only noticed when Taeyong’s tight grip on his hand yanked him back midstep, “I had no idea.” Even if the cicadas were screaming and some idiot was blasting what sounded like a country remix of a hip hop song, Johnny could still hear Taeyong’s quiet voice. 

His face was scrunched up and he was looking down at the ground, a downcast expression on his face. 

“Hey,” Johnny sighed, taking a step back and letting go of Taeyong’s hand to lean down and cradle his face, “you know it’s nothing you did and there’s no way you could’ve known unless you’re a mind reader. I’m still a mess, but it’s more like a mess in progress?” 

“Well, we’re both like that then. Not just you,” Taeyong sighed, staring up at Johnny before he puckered his lips.

When he got the peck that he wanted, a smile spread across his face and Johnny found himself smiling as well. 

“We’ll be messes together.” 

“Deal.” 

It sucked going through the first week of classes feeling like a loser, but Mark did what he had to do. 

Donghyuck never stopped calling him or asking him to hang out, though he seemed to avoid inviting Mark over to his house. It was obvious he was trying to avoid pressuring him in any way, but it felt like Donghyuck was walking on eggshells around him.

The only thing that took his mind off that was the fact that the first week of classes meant big parties. The frats and soros were already looking for new pledges and the people who just liked to drink were throwing pointless parties. 

Even Mark stumbled into at least three invites for Friday night alone, but he turned them down, mentioning that Johnny, Taemin, and Jongin were throwing a party of their own. There wasn’t an official reason, but Mark assumed it had something to do with them all being seniors. 

At least, that would make the most sense, not that Johnny, Taemin, and Jongin always operated on logic.

Like the good boyfriend that he was, Donghyuck turned down all potential party plans to come to Mark’s apartment despite that he wouldn’t know many people there. 

When Friday night came, Mark spent extra time cleaning his room after his English literature class and Johnny hung in the doorway, laughing.

“You’re cleaning like mom’s coming to inspect everything, chill.” 

“It’s the only way I know how to clean.” Mark’s words were muffled because he was vacuuming underneath his bed. 

It _was_ the only way he knew how to clean, but he was also channeling his nervous energy into cleaning as well. 

His first college party. 

One that he was kind of only invited to because he lived in the apartment it was happening in, not that that mattered much.

Mark was excited.

TV was pretty spot on whenever college parties were involved. That much Mark learned the moment more than ten people showed up.

About an hour before the party actually started, Johnny and Jongin showed up with bags from the nearby supermarket loaded with cheap bottles of vodka, rum, tequila, cranberry, orange and mango juice for mixers.

Taemin came almost ten minutes before the so-called ‘start’ of the party toting a large bag from a nearby dispensary.

“Holy shit. Did you get enough to smoke out half the complex?” Johnny asked as he pawed through the bag.

Inside the bag was more weed than Mark had ever seen in his life.

TV included.

Now that Johnny knew that Mark partook in alcohol and liked to smoke, he didn’t force Jongin and Taemin to hide anything.

It was a common occurrence for Mark to come home to Jongin and Taemin vegged out on the couch, cuddled together while something stupid played on the TV. Sometimes Johnny and his boyfriend, who Mark had gotten better acquainted with, Taeyong, were there too. 

They always offered him some and most days he took them up on the offer, using it as a way to escape the weird feeling that settled in his chest since the previous weekend. 

So far, it’d been working and he kept indulging.

“You should invite Donghyuck to smoke with us if he’s not too busy with school or job,” Jongin mumbled, raising his head from Taemin’s shoulder. 

Instead of answering, Mark just nodded and took another hit from the blunt Taeyong passed to him. It was approaching roach territory and he had to be careful not to burn his fingers, but that wasn’t too much of a problem.

He was hyper-focused and he almost let it burn out in his hands, but Taemin reached over and stubbed it out, giving him a tired look. 

Now as the party picked up and Donghyuck filtered into the front door with several other people Mark vaguely recognized, he wished he’d smoked a little before the party.

“Seeing as how I don’t work tomorrow, I don’t mind the fact that you can hear this party from two buildings down,” Donghyuck spoke, wrapping his arms around Mark’s waist so he could speak into his ear. 

Just being so close to Donghyuck and smelling that familiar scent of clean linen was enough to send Mark’s stomach into a tailspin. 

“Lemme get you a drink,” Mark mumbled, untangling Donghyuck’s arm from his waist before he disappeared into the crowd, pushing past people as he headed deeper into the kitchen. 

By the time he managed to make them both a concoction of orange and mango juice with vodka, Donghyuck had struck up a conversation with the girl from the last college party Mark had attended.

Yeri, just as pretty as she’d been before, was discussing something quite passionately and stopped when she saw Mark approach. 

“Mark, right?” Her eyes went shiny and she turned toward him, a soft smile gracing her heavily glossed lips. “Did you transfer schools, because I swear I saw you in my history class.” 

Donghyuck tilted his head in curiosity but did not attempt to help Mark out.

He seemed to enjoy watching Mark flounder through the conversation. 

“Well, I hope to see you around more. What’s your number so we can keep in touch this time.” He wasn’t going to get off as easily as he did the last time. 

Finally, as if Donghyuck was taking mercy on him, he stepped forward and shook his head.

“As friends right?” Yeri opened her mouth to reply but then shut it, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Because this is my boyfriend and your flirting could use some work.” 

Mark gaped at Donghyuck but let himself be pulled in Donghyuck’s chest. When he turned to look at Yeri’s face, instead of being pissed like he thought she'd be, she chuckled and crossed her arms.

The simple action made her boobs sit even higher in the tight tube top she had on and garnered a few interested looks from people around them, but Mark only averted his eyes as his face burned. 

“Of course you got to him first Donghyuck.” Yeri huffed and pouted, but there didn’t seem to be any hard feelings. 

That was a relief. 

Mark took a large gulp of his drink and winced when the alcohol burned down his throat. He’d definitely been heavy-handed with the vodka. 

“You’re such a graceful loser Yerim,” Donghyuck chuckled, taking a sip of his drink as well. Mark can tell Donghyuck finds the drink on the stronger side, but he keeps drinking without comment.

The conversation with Yeri continued for a while and Mark chimed in a few times, telling her about his major and eventually admitted that he was in high school when they first met. 

“That explains why you ran away so quickly. I tend to come on kind of strong.” Mark assured her that it was okay and a look of relief crossed her face. 

Mark could tell the gulps he'd taken were getting to him because his entire body started to feel warm and the side of Donghyuck’s neck got terribly enticing. 

He didn't recall leaning over and mouthing at the tan expanse of skin, but the squeeze Donghyuck gave to his waist made him realize that he'd left a bright hickey on Donghyuck’s neck.

In front of Yeri. 

She regarded them with an amused expression, then one of her other friends—Sooyoung, if Mark's memory was even working—pulled her away to participate in an impromptu game of beer pong.

“Are you always so forward when you drink?” Donghyuck asked, his arm still around Mark’s waist. 

He liked it there and wanted it to stay. 

“I dunno. Are you always this hot?” Mark knew he’d gotten to Donghyuck when the other opened his mouth then closed it. Instead, he chugged the rest of both his drink and Mark’s. 

He glanced in the direction of Mark’s bedroom, noticing that someone was using the bathroom inside. 

Mark, however, leaned closer to him and could feel something hard pressing into his hip. 

“Ah, are you hard?” With a giggle, Mark snaked his hand behind his back and slid down to squeeze Donghyuck’s crotch. 

“You’re really going to kill me, Mark Lee.” Donghyuck groaned, right into his ear. 

It really should’ve bothered Mark how far they were going in front of all these people, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. The alcohol in his system was making him bold and he wasn’t going to let his determination fizzle like before. 

Grabbing Donghyuck’s hand, Mark pulled him toward his bedroom and eyed the closed bathroom door. While not letting go of Donghyuck, he knocked and politely urged the person to finish up their business, then get the hell out. 

Luckily, a drunk man, possibly named Yuta, stumbled out a few moments later and gave them a thumbs-up before retreating out the room and closing the door behind him.

Mark finally let go of Donghyuck’s hand to lock the door, then he walked over to turn on the bedside lamp.

“That’ll be enough light right?” Donghyuck blinked a few times at Mark and nodded silently, letting a very tipsy Mark push him onto the bed, then climb on top of him. 

Neither Jongin nor Taemin were too caught up in the game of beer pong they were playing to miss Mark pulling Donghyuck into his room, booting a very drunk Yuta from his bathroom, then locking the door. 

“Ooh, he’s so feisty. Who would’ve known?” Jongin commented before he chugged the cup of beer Taemin placed in his hand. 

“Nah, I figured.” Taemin chuckled, attempting to sink the white ping pong ball into one of Sooyoung and Yeri’s cups.

Taeyong and Johnny stood off to the side, watching the game and trying to distract Taemin for the sake of the girls, who were down to one cup compared to the boys’ four cups.

Just as Jongin sunk the ball in the last cup, Johnny scanned the party, looking for Mark.

“He went into his room with Donghyuck, I heard.” Taeyong supplied and motioned to the closed door. 

Johnny widened his eyes, chugged the rest of his drink then lifted two of three cups of beer Yeri and Sooyoung had to drink, chugging those as well.

He didn’t want to think about what was happening behind the closed door. At all.

Unlike the first time, Mark actually managed to take off his clothes, moving full steam ahead while the liquid courage coursed through his veins. 

He wanted this so badly and nerves be damned.

His hands fumbled on Donghyuck’s pants, but he got them unbuttoned and tugged them until Donghyuck lifted his hips and they slid down his legs. He threw them in the same direction as his clothes and then looked down at his boyfriend, both of them down to their underwear. 

Donghyuck had been aroused since Mark’s boldness in the living room and Mark admired the tent in his boxers. 

He must’ve stared for too long, because Donghyuck pulled lightly at his arm, leaning up to draw Mark into a kiss.

The kissing wasn’t new. 

The touches that Donghyuck trailed down his bare sides and cupped his ass, however, were new and Mark leaned into it. 

Mark ground down onto Donghyuck, feeling firmness press against his ass more insistently as he did so. The moan that came out of Donghyuck’s mouth was also new.

He _really_ liked that.

Boldness washed through him, wave after wave, as he experimented with moving his hips, rutting until he was just as hard in his underwear as Donghyuck. There was even a dark part in the front of Donghyuck’s gray boxers and his hands had a tight grip on his hips. 

When he leaned down for another kiss, those same hands slipped past the waistband and cupped his ass again, though this time it was skin to skin.

The feeling was so foreign, yet felt so good, he moaned into Donghyuck’s mouth and stopped moving his hips, his eyes wide. 

It was then that Donghyuck used his strength to flip their positions, so Mark was on his back and he was hovering above him. 

“Do you have condoms and stuff?” He sounded out of breath as he spoke, his cheeks flushed and his hair tousled on his head. 

Donghyuck was so hot and Mark could hardly believe he was dating him.

It took a few moments before Mark answered Donghyuck’s question, nodding silently before he reached over, retrieving a tube of lube and a roll of condoms.

Instead of using them immediately like Mark assumed Donghyuck would, he set them aside and drew him into another deep, mind-scrambling kiss before he kissed a trail down his sternum and hooked his thumbs around the waistband of his underwear. 

The absence of nerves and uncertainty made it easier for Mark to lift his hips and let Donghyuck rid him of the rest of his clothes. In any other circumstance, he would’ve felt exposed but at the moment, he only felt warm and needy.

He _needed_ Donghyuck to touch or do something to him. 

There was a tension in the pit of his stomach that only grew the more Donghyuck touched and kissed him.

It only got worse when Donghyuck took him into his mouth and as a knee-jerk reaction, Mark’s hands gripped his hair and groaned. 

There was a gap between one song ending and another beginning, where Johnny could’ve sworn he heard something from Mark’s room, but he tried so hard to convince himself that he hadn’t.

Mark was an adult and could do what he wanted with his boyfriend.

However, that didn’t mean that Johnny should be subjected to hearing anything dealing with that.

Before he could think more about it, Taeyong pulled him onto the veranda and lit a blunt, putting it directly between his lips.

“He’ll be okay. Don’t think about it.” Johnny reached to hold the joint and he shook his head, but Taeyong just poked him in his side. “You’re so obvious. Seriously, Donghyuck’s a good guy. He’s crazy about Mark too.” 

“I know.” As Johnny spoke, smoke flowed from his mouth and he sat down in a nearby chair, reaching the blunt to Taeyong. 

He didn’t want to talk about it further, because he didn’t want to think about it anymore, so they smoked in silence. 

Taeyong knew well when Johnny wanted to avoid discussion, so he took the silent cues and settled himself in Johnny’s lap, despite the three other chairs that weren’t occupied.

By the time they finished and returned inside, Johnny was crossfaded enough to not worry too much about Mark.

It felt like little bugs were crawling on his skin, but like, in a good way, when Donghyuck’s mouth left him. Through bleary eyes, Mark watched as his boyfriend reached for the lube and condoms, sitting them closer to him. 

More hot, wet kisses landed on his thighs and Mark cocked them open wider. 

His breath hitched when a cool finger pressed between his legs, pushing inside. 

It wasn’t exactly the best feeling in the world, but it didn’t hurt either, so he wiggled his hips.

“Is this okay?” Mark nodded and Donghyuck pressed deeper, stroking him from the inside.

When he added another finger, he repeated the process, though eventually, he scissored his fingers apart, stretching him further. That was when Donghyuck’s other hand stroked him, bringing the bugs crawling feeling back.

It increased tenfold as Donghyuck crooked his fingers, pressing into something inside of him and pressing repeatedly. The tension in the pit of his stomach also returned and he squirmed, making sounds he’d never made. 

Donghyuck muttered a quiet “I found it,” and continued to rub that spot as he twisted his fingers. 

Mark couldn’t hear the music and chatter from the party or the squelching from the lube anymore. Instead, he could only hear the pounding of his own heart and blood rushing. 

And now his body felt hot. 

It was almost overwhelming, especially when Donghyuck took all three—when had he worked up to three?—of his fingers out and Mark felt weirdly empty. 

Donghyuck temporarily let go of Mark’s dick to arrange his legs, before he settled between them again, rolling the condom onto himself. 

“Are you ready?” 

Even if Mark felt like he couldn’t trust his words, he managed a shaky, “yeah. Please.” 

Yuta accepted the bottle of water that Jongin handed him and drank a little bit, shaking his head. 

“I never get the chance to go out much, so when I do, I always drink too much, too fast.” Both Jongin and Taemin give him looks of understanding. 

“We’re so glad you came though. We really want to apologize for all the times you’ve had to deal with us at your job,” Jongin started, rubbing the back of his neck while Taemin looked at the floor. 

“It’s really nothing much guys. It was actually kind of funny. I still tell the wallet story to all my friends.”

That didn’t make either of them feel better. 

“Plus it helps that you’re both so cute.” Yuta giggled after his statement and drank more water, missing the flustered expressions on Jongin and Taemin's’ faces.

He gripped the sheets hard as Donghyuck pressed forward, the discomfort going hand and hand with the curiosity of being _full_. 

“Still okay? Tell me if it’s too much, okay?” Donghyuck reminds him, sounded winded. 

Mark might not have been experienced, but he knew he needed to relax so things would feel good again. 

At least that’s what the Reddit forum he read warned. 

Donghyuck’s hand landed back on his dick, steadily stroking him to hardness again as he continued to slowly move his hips.

When he bottomed out, he stopped moving and let Mark get used to the feeling. His patience was truly something Mark would comment on later, but at that moment, Mark was trying to relax at the intrusion. 

After all, Donghyuck’s dick was bigger than his fingers. 

“Hy-hyuck, keep go-going. M’kay.” Mark sighed, breathing through his nose. 

The discomfort began to fade and was replaced with the feeling of tension like it was starting at the tips of his toes and rising through his legs. 

Between the sensation of Donghyuck’s hand on his dick, plus the fact that the same spot Donghyuck had found with his hands, was now being brushed past and pressed against, Mark could only move his hands to grip Donghyuck’s biceps.

Biceps that he never noticed were pretty solid now that they were both completely naked and so close.

Donghyuck’s hips started moving faster, pulling small hiccups from Mark’s throat each time their skin met. 

“God, Mark,” he grunted when he bottomed out again, feeling Mark’s nails press into the skin of his arms.

It felt embarrassing to make noises, but every time Donghyuck’s hips pressed against his own, something like a moan slipped from his lips and Mark could only lean into the pleasure that hitting him like blows to the stomach. 

Neither Mark or Donghyuck noticed how the handle on Mark’s door was turning until there was a soft thumb and it made Donghyuck look up from the heavy gaze he had on Mark. 

“The doors fucking locked. Where am I supposed to piss now?” A voice whined, softly banging on the door. It sounded mysteriously like Baekhyun. 

Neither man moved from the bed and Mark shook his head softly, grinning, “ignore it. Let’s keep going. I’m so cl-close.” He stumbled on the last part, feeling the shyness hit him full force. 

Donghyuck returned the smile and he started moving his hips and hand again, dragging Mark back into that feeling of coming, yet not quite there. 

The knocking eventually stopped, not that they noticed as Donghyuck’s movements sped up and suddenly Mark wasn’t _almost_ coming.

The tension that had been building in the pit of his gut suddenly snapped like a pencil and Mark arched his back, barely getting out a warning before he spilled over Donghyuck’s fist and his own chest. 

Donghyuck followed soon after, coming into the condom with a groan. 

He’d been holding himself up over Mark, but after his orgasm he dropped to his elbows and kissed Mark’s forehead, giving him a tired smile.

Mark returned the sentiment by wrapping his arms around Donghyuck’s neck, not even caring that he was probably making them both sticky with his come. 

Donghyuck, however, seemed to care and eventually rolled from on top of him to lay next to him. 

“We should shower soon.” 

“But what if,” Mark paused clearing his throat and forcing himself to turn and look at Donghyuck, swallowing his embarrassment, “I want to do it again?” 

Donghyuck’s eyes widened and his lips stretched into a smile. 

“You never stop surprising me. You know that?” Mark chuckled and he moved to sit up, but made a squeaking noise, feeling a foreign twinge in his back. “Maybe let’s take things slow this time?”

When Johnny walked out of his bedroom the next morning, he nodded at Donghyuck and Mark sitting at the small kitchen table eating breakfast. 

What he didn’t expect, however, was to see Yuta come out of Taemin and Jongin’s bedroom wearing one of Jongin’s shirts and some of Taemin’s sweatpants.

Taeyong reacted the same when he trailed out behind Johnny a few moments later, frozen in place as both he and Johnny watched Taemin and Jongin bid Yuta goodbye with simultaneous kisses on the cheek. 

Even Mark and Donghyuck were looking at the scene in shock. 

“Did you…” Taeyong started, but trailed off, eyeing the now closed door. 

“We both thought he was so hot, so why not?” Jongin asked, tilting his head and looking at his roommates and significant others like they were the ones who’d done something weird. 

“I guess he has a point there,” Donghyuck replied, giving Jongin a nod. Mark reached across the table and poked him, leaning closer with a whispered, “you wouldn’t be into that, would you?” 

“Only if you brought it up first. After all, after last night, we know who’s the adventurous one between the two of us.” Donghyuck’s words made Mark’s entire face darken with a flush and he plopped back down into his chair, then winced. 

His back was still hurting. 

Johnny could feel his stomach turn because he’d heard all of Donghyuck and Mark’s exchange. In an effort to calm him, Taeyong reached to massage the back of his neck.

Jongin and Taemin had also heard the exchange as well and they shared a look before grinning at each other. 

As they trailed back into their room, Johnny could’ve sworn he heard a cut off “...told you they’re both freaky. Must run in the family.”

“Fuck, I need to smoke.” Johnny groaned, running his hands through his hair. 

Donghyuck and Mark looked at Johnny and Mark started to apologize, but Johnny raised his hand, “no need. Just, uh, keep your sex life talk at least ten feet away from me, yeah?” 

Mark nodded and Donghyuck cackled. Johnny could tell by the look on his face, that now that Donghyuck knew it bothered him, it would happen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as we started with a party, we have ended with one as well. I will say that that last one isn't as chaotic as the first one though. 
> 
> First of all, thank you so much to everyone who have been reading this fic and being so patient with me. This really was my first venture into writing the NCT boys as MCs, so I hope I did them some justice. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this extra-long last chapter and thank you again for showing so much excitement and love to this odd story.
> 
> Lastly, thank you to my friends Laura and Harriet for helping me make sure I didn't sound like a cop when I writing about the smoking and such lol <3 
> 
> Come talk to me on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wblankspaces)

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think about this, as I'm a bit nervous since this is my first time really writing the members of NCT


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